Army of Darkness
by Vesalius
Summary: UA: Aife has taken over the Light and Dark Fae and is ruling as empress over both sides, turning all who object into mindless sycophants. She has used her abilities to enlist Bo as her second in command, but there is still some resistance to the takeover. Bo is sent into the fight, and what she discovers on her journey might just be her impetus for change. Doccubus.
1. Mommy Dearest

Disclaimers: _Lost Girl_ is the property of Prodigy Pictures and Shaw Media. I own nothing, and do not take any credit for any creative choices its production staff has made. However, any further bastardization of the plot and/or characters in the scope of this story is solely of my own doing, for which I apologize immensely.

* * *

There was something so incredibly satisfying about watching the light fade from another person.

Bo never noticed such things before, but for the past couple of months, she'd let herself get lost in her base desires. Her new life was exhilarating — all the chi she could possibly consume, servants to wait on her hand and foot, and entire army ready to give their lives for her. Aife made good on her promise: she had opened up Bo's world, and Bo hadn't once looked back.

The man in Bo's grasp hadn't deliberately defied her either. He just failed in his duties. Bo ordered him to return the Koushang that was stolen from the vault. To most Fae it was just a simple necklace, but to Bo and Aife, it represented a significant threat. He was placed in charge of a small unit of soldiers, and Bo ordered them into the rebel's territory. He'd clearly put up a valiant fight, but that didn't matter to Aife, and it didn't matter to Bo. He'd failed them both when he returned tonight empty handed.

Bo couldn't even recall the man's name as she steadily continued drawing the blue chi from his body. She thought it might have been Adam — no, maybe it was Phillip. The name wasn't important though. He was bound to Bo by her powerful blood, along with the rest of those under her command, and therefore they all felt closer to her than they did to their own mothers. And just like the other soldiers, he was expendable. Bo didn't have any qualms about drawing out the last wisps of life from this man. The chi felt more potent when it was drawn from someone she was bonded to, so not only did Bo feel no guilt, she also received a more potent fix. His knees buckled, and she released the man's collar, thrusting him away from her and into a lifeless heap on the marble floor.

A small semicircle of onlookers stood by, watching expressionlessly as their comrade was murdered before them. The blood bond made them devoid of any outward emotion. The only time they were allowed to think, to feel for themselves is when their master allowed it, and lately Bo was never in the mood for sentimental moments.

She met the eyes of the onlookers, and said in her most authoritative tone: "Remember this the next time any of you considers failing in your duties. I do not tolerate failure. Is that understood?"

"Yes, mistress," they all replied in unison.

"Good. Now clean this mess up," she ordered, gently kicking the lifeless body in front of her with her boot.

Her soldiers sprung into action, and Bo left them in the stone arcade to finish the task. The long arcade led to the main hall on one end, where she would find Aife. Bo strutted down the path with a growing anger starting to gnaw at the inside of her stomach. The chi quelled it for a moment, but the initial buzz was wearing off. If Bo was angry, her mother was bound to be livid, and she braced herself for Aife's wrath as she pushed the heavy oak doors forward.

Of course Aife would be feeding. Bo cleared her throat loudly to get her mother's attention, and Aife looked up with polite interest. Her three lovers weren't even phased by the interruption and continued to lavish her body with their hands and mouths. It wasn't as if Bo hadn't seen her mother in a full feed before, but she found it awkward to talk business while her mother was in such a… compromising position.

"Should I come back at another time?" Bo asked. She cringed as one of the lovers began to pay extra special attention to Aife's foot. Bo had been with a few foot fetishists in her time, and they were not her cup of tea, to say the least.

"Don't be silly, dear," Aife said in her cheeriest voice. "Come here." She extricated herself from the tangle of nakedness around her and dismissed her lovers with a wave of her hand. Aife slipped into the silk robe hanging from the edge of her throne. Bo stepped forward to the base of the steps before her mother, feeling the soft Parisian rug beneath her feet. "What's bothering you Isabeau?"

"The Koushang wasn't recovered."

As Bo expected, the sweet demeanor disappeared, and a thunderous look crossed over Aife's face. "I see. I trust that the one responsible has been relieved of his or her duties?"

Bo confirmed it with a single nod. "He has paid with his life."

"Good." Aife returned to her throne and sat, letting out a dramatic sigh. She tapped her nails mindlessly on the ornately carved armrest. "This simply will not do, Isabeau."

"Would it be possible to move forward without the Koushang? Devise another strategy?"

Aife shook her head. "No, it would not. They already have a steady supply of Panacea's elixir which would correct the blood bond. To give them resistance to our other ability would be foolish."

Bo hadn't realized the rebels could already cure themselves of her blood bond. It made facing them more complicated, and she could see the sense in Aife's obsession with the Koushang. If the rebels could defend themselves from both of Aife and Bo's attacks, the succubi were at a severe disadvantage. They worked hard to overcome the Light and Dark Fae; life was better on their side without the infighting, and Bo wanted to fight for that to continue.

"What would you have me do?" Bo asked.

"It appears as if prior attempts to collect the Koushang have proved ineffective," Aife mused. "I would propose a strategy change. I want you to organize the offensive on this mission. Strategize, build the attack. Then move in and collect the prize. Collect as much intelligence as you need before making your move, and build up the army with as many stray Fae or humans as you need." Aife glanced seriously down the steps at her daughter. "We need this to be done correctly, Isabeau."

"It will be. I will see to it myself."

"Thank you, dear."

Shades of Aife's carefree attitude returned, and Bo knew she was being excused when the naked lovers came waltzing back into the room as well. She managed to step out just before anything serious happened, and snapped the tall double doors shut. The iron brackets latched in place, securing Aife's hall from the outside world, and Bo once again found herself in the arcade. This time however, it was empty, and the remains of her feed had even been removed already.

The place might have appeared to be a castle to the casual visitor, but Bo knew it to be the old Light Fae compound. She and her mother also held the Dark territory, but neither of them used it much. The Light Fae facilities were fit for royalty, and that's what Bo and Aife deserved. Bo's hall was situated at the opposite end of her mother's, and she had to cross the entire length of the arcade to reach it.

It was silent, almost too silent for a building that housed over three hundred Fae. Yet everyone that lived there followed the rules down to the last letter. There was to be nobody out after midnight unless they were accompanied by Aife or Bo (or had their permission). The silence might have been suspicious anyplace else, but for Bo, it meant all was well.

After Bo readied herself for sleep, she crawled into her giant bed, finding herself a comfortable nook somewhere near the center. She considered calling on one of her frequent feeds, perhaps two of them. There were seven total that she kept on ready supply and were already to serve her any way she wanted. They were more powerful than the others, and Bo found their chi more pleasant. But she decided against it.

Bo wasn't hungry after she drained her soldier earlier, and she needed to work tomorrow, meaning that she couldn't be awake all night playing games with her would-be lovers. She needed to rest. With that in mind, Bo allowed herself to drift off with dreams of taking down the rebels to ease her thoughts.

* * *

_**Author's notes:** I'm currently working on three much longer fics at the moment (to be published once I get more of them completed), so this one is kind of a filler until then. I'll try to update as regularly as I can, but this story isn't exactly my priority at the moment. Kenzi will making her debut in chapter 2, and Lauren will be appearing around chapter 5 for anyone who is curious._


	2. Bo's Army

Bo needed more soldiers, she realized the next day. Though her side outnumbered the rebels at least four to one (by Bo's estimates), there were barely enough to keep tabs on the secretive Fae. The rebels were in hiding, and those under Aife's regime were not. It took far more resources to chase a ghost, and Bo didn't have the slightest idea where the rebels were operating. All she knew was that every time her side made a move, they were always prepared. To avoid an ambush, she needed to know where the threat was coming from, so Bo needed to expand her own forces.

The Dal Riata was as good a place to start as any. Throughout the takeover, it remained a Fae sanctuary, and there would be any number of Fae there — on Bo's side, neutral, and opposing Bo's side. They all frequented the waystation because it was one of the few safe places left for them to be. Even Aife and Bo knew to respect the rules of the Dal Riata, lest they incur the blood king's wrath. Bo wasn't planning on fighting though; it was quite the contrary. If everything went according to plan, there would be absolutely no violence today. All she needed to do was bond her blood with theirs. It was a simple plan, and with Bo's expertise, she could easily turn every member of the bar over to her side without even being noticed. She just needed a few lookouts.

Bruce and Serena were more than up to the task. In their previous existence, they were guards of the Dark and Light Fae, and their mere appearance was enough to quiet any opposition. Bo tasked them with watching her back and looking menacing at the Dal, while she prowled for new recruits. They were eager as ever to serve Bo's wishes, and Bo gave them both a pulse of her energy as both a reward for their service and for further motivation.

Bo's private driver dropped them off in front of the old bar. The sleek black luxury sedan looked out of place in front of the worn-looking building, which suited Bo just fine. Her two escorts were looking intimidating in their suits of all black, and Bo followed behind them wearing her own particular uniform. The short leather skirt and knee high leather boots served their own purpose, as did the low cut black top she sported. Bo put all them to use as she and her escorts strutted into the bar.

As expected, the crowd fell silent at Bo's entry. All eyes went first to the two hulking guards, then to Bo — where they stayed for several long drawn out moments. Bo basked in their admiration, loving the auras of arousal mixed with just the right amount of fear. It was intoxicating, and a grin fixed itself on her face as she glanced at the wary looking crowd.

"I see my reputation precedes me," Bo called out to the silent bunch, her grin growing into a full on smile. "I can assure you, I bear you no ill-intent. As much as I despised the animosity between the old clans, I respect the Fae customs. No harm will befall any of you at this waystation — at least by me."

There was a flurry of whispers at Bo's statement, and several of the Fae tentatively returned to their conversations. Those that didn't continued to eye Bo surreptitiously, from the corners of their vision or from behind their neighbor. Bo acted as if she were unaware of the continued attention and pulled up a seat at the bar, her guards wordlessly flanking her on either side.

"Can I help you, miss?" came a small voice from behind the counter.

The girl it belonged to was obviously putting a great effort into keeping the fear from her voice as she spoke to Bo. The succubus eyed her curiously. She looked young, almost too young to be working in a bar, and her light blue eyes shone brightly in contrast with her jet black hair. But there was something else different about her that Bo couldn't quite identify. She tilted her head to the side as the regarded the young girl, and suddenly Bo recognized what the difference was.

"You're human," Bo said.

"Yes, I'm aware." The young girl busied herself with the glasses in front of her. "Would you like anything to drink?" she asked, not looking up to meet Bo's eyes again.

Bo ignored the question. "Why are you _here_?"

The girl sighed. "The same reason any human would find themselves at the Dal Riata." She rubbed the back of her wrist in a self-conscious gesture, and Bo gave her a questioning look.

"I see," Bo mused. "I trust that you know who I am then."

"Of course. You're _Isabeau_. The leader of the new order."

"Close. My mother is the leader, and I'm her second. And most people call me 'Bo.'"

"Well, I would say it's nice to meet you, Bo… but circumstances and all…" The black haired girl shook her head and finally looked up to meet Bo's eyes. "My name's Kenzi. Ward of the blood king, and part-time bartender."

Bo tensed and let out a growl at the mention of the blood king, and a hot flash of anger jolted through her body, making her eyes flash blue. It was his actions that caused the Light and Dark divide so many years ago, his selfish actions and nobody else's. The fact that he still retained and modicum of power angered Bo immensely — her mother as well. Kenzi jumped backward at the display of power from the succubus, her eyes growing wide in fear. She'd heard stories of Bo's terrible abilities, and the hint of them making an appearance frightened her. Bo forced her brown eyes to return and gave Kenzi an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry," Bo said. "But the blood king and I are not on the best of terms, and that's on a good day."

"Well, neither am I on most days." Kenzi poured two shot glasses of vodka and placed one in front of Bo without her asking. "And on the other days, I'm usually too drunk to care." She threw back the other shot glass in one gulp and slammed it back on the counter.

An idea was beginning to form itself in Bo's mind, and she needed to keep talking to Kenzi. Even if the blood king wasn't leading the rebellion, he would still know all about it. Kenzi was his slave and would be a valuable source of information, whether she knew it or not. Bo would still need bodies, but those were on ready supply at the bar. It was something that could be tended to later just as effectively.

Bo threw back her own shot and hissed at the pleasant burn in her throat. It was the good stuff, Bo realized after she swallowed. Smooth, cool, and lethal.

"I can see why you would feel that way. Which is why I tolerate no slavery in my clan. It's a barbaric practice, and it deserves to be left in ancient history where it belongs," Bo said.

Kenzi leaned in close to Bo and dropped her voice just loud enough for the brunette to hear. "No offense, but —"

"None taken," Bo quickly added.

"You have more slaves than all the other sides combined," Kenzi finished.

Bo shook her head in disagreement. "Hardly. My soldiers are fighting for me because of their loyalty to me. They want to be by my side with every fiber of their being."

Bo glanced at Kenzi's arm, which was propped on the bar top. She grasped Kenzi's wrist with one hand and pushed up her long sleeve with the other. A runic symbol was branded into the skin on the back of her wrist, the scarred tissue forming the symbol of the blood king. Kenzi tried to pull her arm back to her to hide the mark, but Bo held her wrist in place.

"Am I really such a terrible brute?" Bo whispered. "I at least afford my team the courtesy of desire. None of them serve without the will to do so, and I don't force them to deface their bodies by wearing a mark. You're forced to serve the whims of an old man — one who could care less if you hate him or love him. A man whose only relation to you is marked by a firebrand. So tell me, which side is the greater monster?"

Kenzi fell silent at Bo's question, looking away to anywhere but her brown eyes. But the young girl stopped trying to pull her arm away, and it slackened in Bo's grip.

"You could leave him, you know. Be free," Bo said after the silence drew out for several seconds. "There are places for you to go where you would be safe."

Kenzi looked up at Bo. There was a tragic look of hope in her eyes, and Bo could tell it had been a long time since it had been there. "I wouldn't have to become like — you know?" Kenzi gestured to Serena and Bruce, whose backs were turned as they scanned the crowd.

Bo shook her head. "Not unless you wanted to. You would be free to leave if you wished."

It was an offer that surprised Bo when the words initially left her mouth, but it was an inexplicable instinct in that moment. Afterward, she was able to justify it by remembering that Kenzi wouldn't tell her owners about her interactions with Bo because it would be dangerous (and she also hated them). And Bo wouldn't reveal anything to Kenzi that could be used as fodder against her and her mother's side, minimizing her own risk from the arrangement. As long as Bo played the situation carefully, Kenzi could be her greatest ally, whether she was bound to Bo or not.

Kenzi seemed to think about Bo's offer for a moment. Her expression stayed neutral, not betraying her thoughts, and Bo was certain the young girl was going to refuse the longer she stayed quiet. Bo held her breath as Kenzi let out a huge sigh.

"Fine. I'll do it." Kenzi finally said in a hushed voice. She immediately looked over both her shoulders to see if anyone overheard her, but she was the only one working the bar at the moment.

"Excellent," Bo grinned. "I need to handle some… business… before I leave, but you're more than welcome to join me later." Bo reached in Bruce's pocket to pull out several bills and slapped them on the counter. She leaned forward, making Kenzi visibly nervous again. "Oh, and thank you for the drink," she added.

Bo wasted no time finding herself a collection of new Fae recruits for her army. Her technique was practiced, and the operation went off without complication. Bo would spot a strong, promising Fae and make her initial approach. Initially, she would make the interaction look like a feed. There was flirting, touching, and lots of eye contact. Bo then took advantage of the distraction and applied a small cut to their hand and one on her own. Before they even had a chance to protest, Bo pressed the two wounds together and silenced them with a kiss, taking some chi and breathing it right back to heal over the tiny break in their skin. By the time Bo finished, their eyes were glazed over, and they looked at her as is she were a living goddess. There were no marks and no messes, so Bo was able to repeat the process multiple times while avoiding detection.

By the time Bo was ready to leave, she'd added twenty new members to her ranks. There obviously wasn't enough room in the car, so Bo instructed all of them to arrive at the compound later that night to begin work. The looks on their faces guaranteed that they would all show up and be right on time, and Bo smiled at all of them before letting them continue their last free hours before the real work started.

Kenzi caught Bo's eye as she returned to her guards, and she beckoned the black haired girl over. Kenzi gave her an incredulous look, as if to question how she could possibly leave the bar unattended.

"It will be fine. Trust me," Bo said, walking to the entrance to behind the bar and waiting for Kenzi.

Kenzi seemed unsure of herself. She kept looking back and forth between Bo, the glasses and liquor in front of her, and the mass of customers. Bo waited for her eyes to circle back to the succubus and her guards, and when they did, Bo held out her hand in invitation. Kenzi stared, internally struggling with the idea of leaving, but she eventually caved.

Kenzi shuffled over to Bo with her head tilted to the floor. "You promise you won't turn me into a zombie?"

Bo placed her index finger underneath Kenzi's chin and brought her face up to meet Bo's eyes. "You will stay just as you are," Bo promised.

"Okay," Kenzi nodded with a huff. She seemed to be working herself up to whatever she was going to say next. "Let's do this shit."


	3. Kenzi Knows Best

Kenzi turned out to be much more helpful than Bo originally anticipated. The succubus simply had to give her a good night's rest on one of her most fluffy feather mattresses, access to the compound's kitchen, and free booze, and the secrets just started spilling out of her. Bo didn't know how a simple human became privy to such a wealth of potentially damaging information, but she suspected that Kenzi's knowledge wasn't exactly gathered from the usual routes from the way she mentioned it.

The blood king, Trick, _was_ playing some unknown role in the rebellion, confirming Bo's suspicions. He wasn't one of the leaders, Kenzi assured Bo, but he had a vested interest in seeing Bo and Aife brought down. The old Morrigan and Ash were setting aside their differences and working together as well. This actually came as a surprise to Bo. She was under the impression she and her mother were fighting at least two different enemies, but it appeared as if the former nemeses were both on the same side now. It explained why her previous attacks never succeeded now that Bo realized there had been communication between both parties.

Kenzi was also able to give several names of important fighters from the other side. There was the former Ash Hale, a siren, and his wolf shifter friend Dyson, and the former Morrigan Evony and a Dark Fae valkyrie named Tamsin. Bo never worked with any of them; even before the takeover, she'd refused to declare a side. She was familiar with the names, but they were essentially strangers to Bo. Her mother was former Light Fae before she defected from the clan and declared herself unaligned, so Aife would probably be more familiar with the people Kenzi mentioned.

Bo allowed Kenzi to sleep for a few more hours on her own bed while she visited her mother again. Aife always wanted to be kept up to date with the latest developments, and this new information qualified as pertinent. Bo was excited to share some new information for once. She pushed the familiar oak doors open to enter her mother's hall. Aife was busy reading over a large text, and she seemed to be expecting Bo.

"Isabeau, do come inside." She didn't even glance up from the book as she called Bo forward.

Bo eased herself into the soft leather armchair in front of her mother's desk. It was still smaller than Aife's desk chair, however, which had a high leather back extending over the succubus's head. It was meant to look intimidating, and the effect was as intended.

"Tell me what's on your mind, dear child."

Bo cleared her throat. "I have come across some interesting information."

"Oh?"

"The blood king is a supporter of the rebellion, but the leaders are the former Ash and Morrigan. They have combined the remaining Light Fae and Dark Fae forces and are now working together."

"That makes sense," Aife mused, turning the page in her book and continuing reading. "Is there anything else?"

"The leaders are Evony and Hale, and Dyson and Tamsin also seem to playing a heavy role in the opposition."

"And your new little pet told you all of this?" Aife asked, finally looking up from her book. Bo didn't know how to respond. She'd never mentioned Kenzi to Aife, and she didn't know how her mother knew about her source of information. Aife seemed to sense Bo's growing confusion. "I have eyes everywhere. I see more than you give me credit for, sweetie," she clarified.

"I can explain —"

"There's no need," Aife cut her off. "As I've said many times before, I trust your judgment. Since you're not going to thrall her, just know that I will be keeping an extra close watch on your little friend in case she decides to go back to her master." She gave Bo a serious look that told her Kenzi would be in serious trouble if that happened. The compound's dungeons hadn't been used but once or twice since Aife and Bo took over, but she knew her mother wouldn't hesitate to dust them off — or any of the other torture devices the Light Fae used to keep at their disposal. The mere thought of some of them made Bo shudder.

The young succubus nodded. "Of course, Mother. I just wanted to keep you informed. I plan on having a strike ready within the week."

"That's my girl," Aife cooed. "Just let me know what the plan is before you move, okay honey?"

"I will."

"Good. Now get busy… It sounds like you have your work cut out for you."

Kenzi was wide awake by the time Bo returned to her hall. She was fully dressed in her black jeans and boots and pacing about, and if Bo didn't know any better, she would have guessed she was planning on making her escape. She jumped slightly as Bo clicked the door shut behind her. Bo gave her a questioning look.

"You weren't planning on _leaving_ were you?" Bo asked. "Because I really don't think that's an option anymore. At least not now."

Kenzi shook her head. "No, not leaving. Just wondering if medieval castles get cable service, or I have to order Jungle Jeeves on DVD again this year…"

"No cable. Sorry."

"Well that's a lame selling point. I can see why didn't mention it in your sales pitch."

"Must have slipped my mind."

Kenzi actually chuckled, and the sound was foreign to Bo's ears. It was a pleasant sound, oddly melodious. Bo couldn't help the smile that came to her face in response. "I'm going to need more information on your little _friends_," Bo said once Kenzi's laughter died down.

That effectively removed any traces of happiness still on the young girl's face. "I'm not sure about much," Kenzi shrugged. "Most of what I hear is just random bits and pieces of conversation. They don't talk to me much at all actually. I guess it's easier to pretend I'm not there. I sometimes have to sneak around just to get enough food to eat, and I end up places I'm not supposed to be." A guarded look passed over Kenzi's face, and she began playing with her own hands to distract herself.

"They're old, outdated fools. Perhaps you and I could make some sense of what you heard?" It was a legitimate offer, and Bo hoped Kenzi would take it. Her heart started beating faster in excitement when Kenzi nodded her head yes.

All four of the main suspects seemed to drop off the face of the earth after Bo and Aife's takeover. Originally, Bo assumed them all to be dead. The Ash and Morrigan were deposed of their quarters at their respective compounds, and Dyson and Tamsin's previous addresses were abandoned. Subsequent searches told Bo nothing about where they were residing, and she concluded that they ended up slain in one of the late sieges. But by Kenzi's account, they were alive and actively plotting against Bo and her mother.

Kenzi hadn't heard much in regards to their whereabouts, and she'd never even met them personally. Trick spoke to the other Fae mostly by phone, and there was repeated mention of a "warehouse by the bridge" on more than one occasion. Kenzi also remembered hearing something about docks and shipments, but she couldn't remember who Trick was talking to at the time.

So naturally, Bo and Kenzi looked into all warehouses within the city limits. There were only two that were located by bridges: one by a highway overpass just on the outskirts of downtown, and the other by a railroad overpass by the city limits. What had Bo more excited about the second option was that it was also located only half a mile from the docks. If she were a gambling woman, she would have placed money on that being one of the rebel hideouts.

Throughout the rest of the week, Bo had a team surveying the area constantly. There were Fae entering and leaving throughout the day, but there was no sign of the four Kenzi mentioned until day two. On that day, the wolf shifter and siren were spotted going into the decrepit metal building, and the next morning they were seen leaving with the valkyrie in tow. Over the next few days, their pattern suggested that they were all living at the old warehouse. It was a shabby excuse for headquarters, but it was well obscured from human view — and from Aife and Bo's as well.

Over the week, Kenzi also became a permanent fixture at Bo's side. Whether that was from fear of the other Fae, or from legitimate feelings of friendship, Bo had no idea. She found that she rather enjoyed the young girl's presence most of the time though. Her levity made long work hours pass more quickly, and she amused Bo immensely with her comments. She'd yet to follow Bo into Aife's hall, however, and Bo needed to visit with her mother before her team mounted their attack tomorrow.

Bo was just about to push the old oak doors forward before she stopped to turn to Kenzi. The young girl was staring at the entrance in dread, as if there were untold horrors hidden behind the doors. The entrance to Bo's hall looked exactly the same, but it was at the opposite end of the arcade. Kenzi knew this one belonged to Aife. The older succubus's reputation preceded her, and most Fae that weren't under her thrall were terrified at the mere sight of her. Bo couldn't imagine how the tiny human felt.

"You don't have to go inside," Bo assured. "I can meet you at my hall later."

Kenzi swallowed thickly and shook her head. "Nah, it's fine. I got this."

"You sure?"

"Yep. Now open the door before I chicken out."

Bo rolled her eyes, but did exactly as Kenzi asked. The high doors squeaked open on their sturdy hinges, and Bo and Kenzi walked in to the high-ceilinged, arched hall. Aife's side was more richly decorated than Bo's with the hand-woven tapestries on the walls and lush furniture, and if Kenzi hadn't seen an identical blueprint on Bo's side, her jaw would have let out an expletive at the sight. As it was, her eyes grew large at the collection of riches laid out before her.

"Isabeau, I see you've brought a visitor," Aife's voice rang out from the far side of the hall. She waltzed up to Kenzi and Bo, eying the newcomer curiously. Bo could almost feel the discomfort rising up in Kenzi at her mother's appraisal.

"Mom, this is Kenzi. Kenzi, this if my mom, Aife."

"Why hello," Aife said in her most charming (and somehow most predatory) voice. She reached her hand out to Kenzi in a greeting gesture and Kenzi grasped it. Bo saw the pulse her mother applied the moment their hands touched, and Kenzi swayed on her feet as soon as it hit her hands.

Bo had to hold Kenzi upright after a few seconds of her mother's influence, and she shot her mother a pointed look. "Was that entirely necessary?"

"Oh, relax. I was just being friendly. Besides, look at her — she loved it!"

Bo glanced to her young friend and shook her head at the dumbfounded expression of bliss on her face. Bo knew that look all too well, and Kenzi probably wouldn't be back to her normal self for at least several hours. And even when she did regain her faculties, she was going to be _extremely_ horny.

Bo let out an exasperated sigh. "I came to tell you about the plan for the mission tomorrow. We've located what we believe is their headquarters, and we'll be launching the attack tomorrow morning. I'm bringing a group of ten with me. We should be even on numbers based on our surveillance, but we'll have the element of surprise."

"That sounds reasonable…" Aife flipped her hair away from her eyes with one of hands and threw the other on her hip. "You do realize that your little friend is going to have to stay here, don't you?"

"Who? Kenzi?" Bo glanced at the groggy girl she was holding in a standing position.

"Yes. I see that she hasn't tried to run away or betray our interests, but she's still a liability if she's captured. She knows too much, and I will not allow her within five miles of the rebel headquarters, is that understood?" Aife's voice was harsh despite her not being angry, and Bo knew that there was going to be no room for argument.

"I understand. She can stay here tomorrow."

"Perfect. If that's all, I think need to get your rest. I would suggest feeding beforehand as well, Bo," Aife instructed. "I know you've never fought them before but of the Fae you've mentioned, I know them all to be formidable opponents."

"I will."

Bo went to leave, but Kenzi was unable to move one foot in front of the other. She kept giggling whenever Bo would make her try to walk, so eventually, the succubus ended up carrying her like a child across the arcade to Bo's hall. She had one arm underneath her knees and the other supporting her shoulders, and the girl's head lolled weakly against Bo's shoulder.

Bo had to use her back to push her doors open as her arms were occupied, and she gently laid Kenzi down on her couch in the main room, giving her a blanket to cover up with.

"You have really fantastic boobs," Kenzi muttered almost incoherently as Bo tucked her in. Bo realized with her positioning that her chest was hovering right over Kenzi's face. "I don't think I dig chicks or anything… but they're fucking mesmerizing."

Bo leaned back away from the black-haired girl and stood upright. "I think that's the succubus whammy talking. You should try to get some sleep now… You're already going to regret that enough in a few hours." In reality, Bo just wanted her to sleep through the next couple of hours so that she wouldn't hear Bo feeding.

Kenzi gave in without any protest and snuggled deeper into the covers. "M'kay."

Bo walked to the adjacent room toward her own bed, and she nearly reached the doorway when she heard Kenzi's voice again behind her.

"G'night Bo."

Bo grinned. "Sweet dreams, Kenzi."

* * *

_**Author's notes:** I won't be able to update until after 5/4/14, so I'm shotgun updating the rest of the chapters I've written now. Look for more updates in about a week or so!_


	4. Foiled

Dusk was the optimal time for Bo's task force to approach. Their appearance would still be unexpected, but the additional cover of darkness would be beneficial for avoiding detection buy any lookouts stationed around the perimeter. At least Bo could count on her team's discipline to be a non-issue.

They spotted nobody as they approached the hidden back entrance. All was quiet outside, and there wasn't even any sound from the gulls that normally flew overhead. The team quickly and silently maneuvered around the corners and up the rickety stairwell, but Bo held up her hand to stop them all before they charged. They waited and listened for any last noise before they moved in. There was nothing.

Bo drew her dagger from its sheath on her thigh, and the others followed her lead. There would be no room inside for large weapons, so most of them carried multiple knives, through there were some small swords interspersed in the group as well.

With one final flick of Bo's wrist, the attack was on.

The soldiers lurched forward through the doorway, and Bo followed them inside. She would be the one searching for the Koushang, and the others would be responsible for fending off the light opposing force. Bo smiled as she saw that the element of surprise proved effective. Serena's abilities with fire had the rebels retreating within seconds.

There were four stories in the warehouse. The few on the ground floor were clearly not the only ones in the building; the rest had to be on the higher floors. And that's where the Koushang might be hiding. Bo let her eyes flash blue, giving her senses an extra boost and charged up the stairs with her blade at the ready. Some of the others clambered behind her, involuntarily feeding off Bo's eagerness.

They ran into Hale first on the stairwell. He'd obviously come running once he heard the commotion below.

"What do you think you're doing?!" he yelled down at the approaching attackers. Bo only grinned at him and climbed faster.

Hale took in a huge breath when none of the intruders stopped and let out a wailing, screeching whistle. It was so harsh that it appeared to literally bend the air around them, and Bo's hands reactively snapped to her ears in a naive attempt to stop the pain. The metal stairs shook beneath her feet as some of her soldiers fell down behind her. Bo knew she had to stop Hale's attack, or else he would kill them all before they even reached the second floor.

Gathering her remaining strength, Bo took one huge leap forward and grabbed at Hale's arm before he had a chance to react. She timed the pulse expertly, and as soon as her hand came in contact with the siren's skin, the whistle died off and a vacant expression took over his face. Bo aggressively pushed her lips against his and started to pull from his chi. It relieved the ringing in her ears, and her headache slowly ebbed away with each second she fed. Once she'd had her fill, she pushed his unconscious body aside and let it fall clumsily to the floor with a thud.

"Let's keep going," she called out behind her. Her soldiers didn't have the luxury of instant healing and were slower to recover. Those that fell down took even more time to crawl back to their feet, but they eventually were at Bo's heels again.

The next floor brought a more traditional fight, filled with close-range knife fights and punches. Her team was more than up to the task, and they all swarmed the rebels, defeating them handedly. Bo didn't count how many there were in all, but she knew her side could manage them. Bo need to keep moving.

Bo reached the top floor and didn't see any more signs of attackers. There was a steady thrum of yells from where fights were still going on downstairs, but there didn't appear to be anything where she was. All Bo saw were huge wooden crates and locked storage containers. It felt like a disappointment in some way.

"I was wondering when you were going to show up here," a deep, gruff voice echoed from the shadows. Bo's head whipped around to find the source of the noise, but her eyes came up empty. "You succubi are the most arrogant Fae species in existence."

A pair of yellowed eyes emerged in the darkness, making Bo's own eyes grew brighter in response. This must be Dyson, she concluded. He probably followed her by her scent, but it was his yellow eyes that truly gave him away.

"From what I understand, wolves aren't much better," Bo growled back at him. "Stealing things that don't belong to you is frowned upon in most situations — even amongst animals."

Dyson stepped out into the light, and now Bo could see him fully. His stature was built for fighting, and in other circumstances, Bo might have been grateful to have him on her side. As it was, he was her enemy. His mouth twisted into a snarl, showing off the newly pointed teeth.

Bo anticipated his charge perfectly and sidestepped him at the past second. His wild swiping claws missed their target entirely, giving Bo the opportunity to land her first blow. As Dyson careened past her, she brought her closed fist down on the back of Dyson's head — _hard._ It hurt Bo, but it hurt Dyson much worse, and he stumbled forward nearly losing his balance completely. He recovered his footing but looked as if he wasn't about to make the same mistake twice.

Pity.

He approached again, this time less wildly, and their fight became a more measured battle of skills. Bo could tell he was still smarting from the blow to his head, so she pressed her early advantage. Dyson eventually caught up to her, and they began trading blows. Bo took them mostly in the midsection and rained numerous uppercuts to Dyson's jaw. When Bo drew her knife, the fight got even more tense.

Dyson was surprisingly light on his feet for such a hulking character. None of Bo's swipes were connecting, and now she was having to contend with Dyson's claws again. After one of Bo's wild swings, Dyson slashed her clear across the face, leaving four deep cuts from her ear to her nose. The sting made Bo yelp in pain and drop her weapon. The blood began to trickle down her face slowly, and she glanced up at Dyson in pure fury.

There were rare occurrences when Bo could tap her excess energy, the power that elevated her above the level of normal succubi. One of the triggers was uncontrollable rage, which is what was happening to Bo now. Dyson was going to get a first hand experience of how terrible Bo's abilities could truly be. The air started crackling around them both, and Bo leapt forward at the wolf with such force that he couldn't have fought her off if he tried.

His back slammed savagely into the storage crate behind him, making a sick cracking noise in the thick planks of wood. Bo's hands immediately shot up to his neck and squeezed with all her might. There were short gasping sounds as Dyson tried desperately to draw air into his lungs, but he was finding no purchase against Bo's strong grip.

"Are you ready to die, wolf?" Bo sneered at him. His eyes grew wide in shock — the realization of a dying man about to meet his end.

Bo smirked and pulled hard at his chi, taking it in huge gulps. But instead of the sweet, life-infusing flavor of regular chi, Dyson's turned to ash in her mouth. It was the most foul feeling imaginable, and Bo backed away from the wolf couching and spluttering to rid herself of the rancid taste in her mouth.

Dyson was collapsed on the ground from Bo's attack, gasping for air. He was still a vulnerable target. Bo stood upright to perform the coup de grâce, but she was stopped by someone tapping her shoulder behind her.

Bo whirled around, annoyed at the intrusion. It was a tall blonde woman, and by the looks of it, she hadn't been a part of the scuffle downstairs at all.

The strange blonde smirked at Bo. "Surprise, bitch."

"Who the f—"

Bo didn't see the blow coming, but her words were cut off when the blonde pulled a knife from her jacket and thrust it forward. It sunk in Bo's abdomen to the hilt, then for good measure, it was twisted inside her. It was as awful as any pain she'd ever experienced in her life — probably worse. Bo couldn't even process anything other than the feeling of the knife, not even the urge to scream out. It was blinding, mind-numbing, and as the blonde ripped the knife from Bo's stomach, she lost the ability to stand upright.

Bo curled into a ball on the floor in a futile attempt to relieve the pain, and she was able to register the blonde helping the wolf to his feet. The lights in the warehouse were beginning to fade quickly and the sounds were becoming progressively more muffled. They walked over to where Bo was huddled and looked down on her broken body.

_This is the end_, Bo thought. _This must be what it feels like to die._

"You want to do the honors?" the woman asked.

"Look at her, Tamsin," came Dyson's hoarse voice. "She's already dead. Let's just throw her outside. I'll have the cleaners come by and pick up the body."

Bo was slowly drifting out of consciousness, and only caught part of the conversation. She knew the woman's name was Tamsin, and that she and Dyson were planning on "getting rid of her." She couldn't even find her voice to protest as they grabbed her arms and legs and hauled her down the stairs.

Each step they took was agonizing, and Bo wanted nothing more than to be put out of her misery. She nearly got her wish when the two rebel Fae reached the outside of the warehouse. They tossed Bo unceremoniously into an alley, leaving her there to expire from her mortal injuries. In a few seconds, she was alone. The succubus just hoped that death didn't take too long.

She managed to turn her head to the side without jostling her wounded stomach, looking up to the sky.

_The stars really are beautiful tonight_, Bo thought before closing her eyes and letting unconsciousness take her.


	5. The Pit Boss

There was an unspoken rule in the trauma bay: if it was a slow night, never under _any_ circumstances mention it.

Lauren cringed when one of her interns pointed out that there hadn't been much activity rolling in tonight. As luck would have it, such declarations usually ensured that far more serious and devastating injuries would be seen later. The older residents with more experience were aware of this rule, and glared at the young intern who was oblivious to his actions.

As if it were scheduled, several pagers alarmed in unison. EMS left their brief assessment for each of the residents on call, and Lauren pulled out hers to read the quick message. Based on the truncated report, Lauren could already tell the patient was in dire straits. They were due to arrive in less than five minutes, so Lauren put her team into action.

They were all ready for the patient as soon as EMS rushed her through the door. As chief resident, Lauren took up her spot at the head or the bed.

"Protect the neck!" Lauren called out as EMS prepared to transfer her from the board to the bed. On her count, they pushed her over and unstrapped the board, and from there, Lauren began her work. The EMS team gave their report as she quickly ran down her checklist.

The EMS officer gave their report while the team worked. The officer recited confidently and loudly enough for the team to hear: "This is an unknown female, estimated age thirty years, status post stab wound to the left lateral abdomen and questionable status post assault. Unknown loss of consciousness and time of incident, found with GCS seven on the scene. Initial BP 90 over 55, and pulse 110. There is no known medical, surgical, or medication history and there are no known family members, friends or witnesses to the attack."

_Great_, Lauren thought. That meant that not only would Lauren have to treat an extremely sick patient, the police would also be in her hair all night trying to identify the unknown woman.

The initial vitals being called out to her from the nurses weren't any better. The team was about to place two IV's, when all of a sudden the patient started thrashing about in the bed, pulling her arms away from the needles. She was already secured in a C-collar, and Lauren was worried she was going to injure herself further. She pressed the injured woman's shoulders down at the head of the bed and leaned over to look into her eyes. The moment Lauren's eyes met hers the woman relaxed back into the bed. It was the first time Lauren had seen the woman conscious.

"I need you to settle down," Lauren said in her calmest voice. "You're going to hurt yourself, and we're trying to help you." The woman was silent at Lauren's words, and the doctor eyed the angry scratches across her face. "Can you tell me your name?" she asked. The team was busy starting IVs now that she wasn't thrashing, and they began to take over the rest of the exam as well.

"The stars — so, so pretty," the patient breathed out looking directly into Lauren's eyes. Seconds later, her dark brown eyes drifted shut, and she went completely still. Lauren blinked several times at the strange statement before looking up to the situation before her.

The woman was probably gorgeous on a regular day, but her entire body had been marred with bruises and scrapes by whatever happened to her tonight. Then there was the vicious stab wound across her abdomen, which was still actively hemorrhaging. Lauren had no idea if this woman sustained a neck or head injury, but she had to assume she did, which complicated matters. She glanced at her residents that were ready to take orders.

"Are the lungs clear?" she asked them.

"Heart and lungs are clear, Dr. Lewis."

Lauren nodded. "I want _you_ to push two liters of lactated ringer's solution right now, and while that's going on, I want her typed and crossed for red cells and plasma." She turned to the other resident. "I want _you_ to put in orders for pan CT scans — full trauma workup."

Both the residents scurried off to do exactly as she asked, and as they left, Lauren spotted an unfamiliar face by the door. It was a young girl with black hair. She couldn't have been much older than her early twenties, and she stood behind the EMS and police with a terrified expression on her face. Yet nobody had made a move to speak with her. While the nurses were busy resuscitating the patient, Lauren stepped away to talk to her.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Lewis, from trauma surgery" Lauren greeted. "Do you know that woman in there?" she asked gently.

The girl nodded, and a tear crept out from her eyes. She quickly bowed her head down and wiped at her face to hide it.

"Is she family?" Lauren asked. The girl seemed unsure of herself, but she eventually nodded again. "Can you tell me her name?"

"Bo," the girl's voice broke on the single syllable.

"And what's your name?"

"Kenzi."

"Well Kenzi," Lauren placed a comforting hand on Kenzi's arm. "We're going to take good care of Bo. She's getting some fluids right now, and we may need to give her some blood as well if she's not getting any better. Then we're going to get some scans to let us know how bad the injury is. Does that sound okay?"

"Is she gonna die?" Kenzi whispered.

The vulnerability in her voice made Lauren's heart squeeze in protest. Anytime someone asked her that question, she knew what she wanted to say. _No, every thing is going to be fine. I won't let anything happen to them_.

But Lauren could never make those promises. Because sometimes things didn't turn out fine. Sometimes, people died. And every time that happened, she was reminded of the frailty of human life. Lauren would devote her life to trying to save every broken, battered person that came through those doors, but occasionally she would fail. All because of no fault of her own.

"I'm going to try my best to not let that happen, Kenzi. I promise."

"Dr. Lewis, we're ready for CT!" a voice called out from the trauma bay.

"I have to go, Kenzi. Remember what I said. If you'd like to go to the waiting room, I will keep you updated on what's happening." Lauren wanted to say more, but Bo's injuries made her hard pressed for time.

Lauren returned to the head of the bed, and while the monitors were being moved, she decided to perform one last neuro check. If Bo had a severe head injury, it would likely show some difference. She removed her pen light from her pocket and gently pulled a single one of Bo's eyes open. Lauren gasped at what she saw and nearly choked on her own breath.

Bo's eyes — which Lauren previously witnessed to be dark brown — were glowing bright, bright blue. Lauren's eyes must have been playing tricks on her, she reasoned. She was on the downhill side of a thirty hour shift, and it wasn't like stranger things hadn't happened to her before during those long nights of trauma. She reached forward again and eased Bo's eyes open and was met with the same eerie blue glow.

Lauren glanced around, feeling her breaths coming on faster. Nobody else in the room was freaking out, and it became obvious that she was the only one that saw it — _twice_. Everything that Lauren knew medically about the eye told her that what she just witnessed was impossible. So Lauren convinced herself that in all likelihood, it was more likely to be a problem with her _own_ eyesight. The thought made her question her judgment on her other decisions tonight.

"Something wrong, Dr. Lewis?" her resident asked her.

Lauren shook her head to relieve herself of the the errant thoughts. "No. Is everything ready?" She quickly made sure the monitors were moved to the bed and the IV bags were transferred.

"Everything's ready."

"Good," Lauren nodded. "Let's go."

Lauren got the privilege of sitting behind the window in the darkened CT room while Bo was run through the scanner. It was mostly because she would be the one reading it, and she needed her residents to run errands for her while Bo was here. Bo's vitals continued to decline in spite of their resuscitative measures, and Lauren had the sinking feeling that Bo would need emergency surgery tonight. She just hoped nobody else noticed the woman's eyes in the meantime.

The first scan popped up on the computer screen in front of Lauren. There was no brain hemorrhage or spine fracture, thankfully. The chest CT was normal, but Bo had a massive internal hemorrhage in her abdomen. It seemed that whatever the knife struck did some fairly significant damage, and Lauren groaned at the picture on her screen.

"What did you get yourself into, Bo?" Lauren whispered to nobody in particular.

* * *

Lauren spotted Kenzi sitting in the waiting room by herself, and she slowly approached the young girl. Kenzi looked terrified yet again, as if she would bolt at Lauren's first words. It had been hours since Lauren last saw her, and she was certain the black haired girl would assume the worst. The sun had even risen during the time she was away. Lauren kneeled down next to her and waited for Kenzi to look up.

"Kenzi, Bo is all right," Lauren said. "She gave us quite a scare early on, so we had to take her to surgery. She had a lot of damage that we had to fix, and we had to give her quite a bit of blood to keep her with us. She's a bit better now. We've moved her to the ICU, and she'll need to stay there for a couple of days until she stabilizes a bit more."

Kenzi let out a huge sigh of relief, and in a move that shocked them both, she pulled Dr. Lewis into a tight hug. She recovered her senses quickly and let the blonde doctor out of her clutches.

"How bad was it?" Kenzi asked.

"She had multiple organs affected, and some fairly important blood vessels. We ended up having to transfuse fourteen units of blood in all by the time the surgery ended." Kenzi's eyes started to well up in tears again hearing just how close Bo had come to death. "Kenzi, I'm telling you this in complete honesty, but it truly is a miracle that Bo is alive."

Kenzi sniffled. "She's the strongest person I know."

"And I'd believe it." Lauren offered her a soft smile. "Would you like to visit her?"

"Is that allowed?"

Lauren nodded. "I'll take you there."

On the elevator ride up to the ICU, Kenzi stayed completely silent. Lauren could almost hear the thoughts rushing through her head, however, so she didn't interrupt Kenzi while she dealt with the emotional trauma from tonight. Bo's room was the second on the left, and she led Kenzi inside.

Kenzi gasped when she saw Bo hooked up to a ventilator and more medical machines than Kenzi even knew existed. The familiar beeping of Bo's heartbeat on the monitor was the only thing that offered her any comfort in the room. Everything else just seemed too _invasive_.

"The tube is going to be there for at least another twelve hours," Lauren explained, sensing Kenzi's growing discomfort. "I'm confident that Bo could breathe on her own now, but since she had so many problems, I want to give her a chance to recover a little more before we take it out."

Kenzi seemed almost afraid of the woman on the bed and unsure of her own self as well. In Lauren's experience, many people who never spent much time in hospitals often had this kind of anxiety when seeing their loved ones in such a state. Lauren just needed to assure her that Bo was still there, and she was going to be okay.

"Come on," Lauren said.

She put her arm around Kenzi's shoulder and walked her to the side of the bed. Kenzi followed but didn't look like she was going to do anything beyond that, so Lauren helped her again. She reached forward and picked up Bo's hand from the bed, and placed it in Kenzi's grasp.

"There, see? That's better," Lauren said, watching as Kenzi's fear started to melt away with each passing second.

Bo's surgery carried Lauren well past the end of her shift. She would need to be at work again in ten hours, but she felt the need to stand there at Kenzi's side for a while longer. She allowed herself to notice, for the second time that night, how beautiful Bo really was. She'd stitched up the jagged cuts on her face, and now that she wasn't in danger of bleeding out, she looked less pale and lifeless. Lauren hadn't seen it, but if she were going to guess, she would also say that Bo probably had a smile that could light up an entire city.

She was interrupted from her thoughts when Kenzi buried her head in Lauren's shoulder and wound her free hand around her back. The young girl kept the other hand firmly grasping Bo's, and she began to cry. Perhaps it was just all the stress from tonight finally coming to a point at that precise moment. Perhaps she just needed an outlet to release her emotions. Or perhaps this was her dealing with the reality that she nearly lost Bo.

It really didn't matter. Lauren would hold her there as long as she needed her to.

* * *

_**Author's notes:** Again, more to come in about a week. Your feedback is invaluable, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts._


	6. Waking Up

Lauren was happy to hear that Bo held steady throughout the rest of the day. She couldn't help but worry about her and Kenzi when she went home, and the first thing she did when she checked in for her overnight shift was to discuss her progress with the on-call physician in the ICU.

Bo's vitals were being monitored closely, and she didn't show any further signs of hemorrhage. Her prognosis was looking better by the hour. Lauren even hoped that she would be able to withdraw her sedation and extubate her later this evening.

The ICU doctor informed her that Kenzi apparently never left either. The young girl was coming close to spending a full twenty-four hours at the hospital herself. Lauren knew how hard that could be on someone, especially someone who wasn't accustomed to it. She thanked her colleague and returned to the familiar hall Bo's room was located and eased the door open.

The lights were off, and the blinds were drawn. Lauren immediately spotted Kenzi curled up into a ball on the visitor's chair sleeping. The light snores from Kenzi and the steady beeping from Bo's monitor were the only sounds in the room. Even though Kenzi had to be in an uncomfortable position, Lauren chose to let her sleep — the poor girl obviously needed it, and Lauren didn't want to disturb her. She approached Bo's bed by herself to take a closer look at her injuries from yesterday.

Theoretically, there should have been no changes in the few hours since Lauren last saw her. It took at least two days for the body's inflammatory response to abate and for new tissue to start forming around previous injuries. So naturally, Lauren frowned when she saw that the edges of Bo's cuts on her face had started to heal inward already.

It was unmistakable. The pinked areas around the wound were newly formed skin, and at Lauren's calculation, it had been roughly sixteen hours since her injuries were sustained. It defied everything Lauren knew about the the body's healing process, much in the same way that Bo's eyes did last night. Lauren bit her lip and reached forward to see if Bo's eyes were still their odd ethereal blue — not that she could have done much about them anyway if they were. Her fingertips gently pried Bo's eye open, and to Lauren's amazement, the brown eyes had apparently returned sometime during the day. She gazed into them, mesmerized by the changes she noticed.

"You're back," Kenzi's raspy voice sounded from behind her. Lauren snatched her hand away from Bo's face and turned to look at her.

Lauren nodded. "Yes. I wanted to see how she was doing."

"Hmm…I think you were creeping, Doc," Kenzi said, giving her a sly smirk. "Don't worry though. I won't tell Bo."

It was the first time Lauren had seen anything closely resembling a smile from Kenzi, and of course it would be to make a joke at her expense. But Lauren wasn't going to let Kenzi's jab get to her, so she forced her expression to remain impassive.

"We're planning on taking her off sedation and the machines today, if everything continues to go well," Lauren said. Kenzi forgot all about her jokes, and her eyes lit up at the news. "It will still be a couple of hours, but I wanted to let you know what the plan was."

"Is it dangerous?" Kenzi asked. "Are _you_ going to do it? I want you to do it."

"Kenzi, there are doctors here in the ICU that have way more experience with —"

"But I trust _you_ though," Kenzi interrupted. Her look was completely serious, and she waited for Lauren to agree with her proposition.

It wasn't as if situations like Kenzi's never occurred at the hospital. Some patients preferred certain doctors — even if they weren't part of their primary care team. Generally speaking, as long as they had the credentials to do whatever the patient was asking and the primary physician agreed with another doctor stepping in, it was usually allowed. Kenzi had just been through a major ordeal last night with Lauren as her major source of support, and she supposed it was only natural that Kenzi wanted any major changes to occur with her present.

"I have to ask the doctor here in the ICU," Lauren explained. "If he's okay with it, I'll be happy to do it. Otherwise… there's not a lot I can do."

"Just please ask." Kenzi looked back to Bo, watching the steady rise and fall of her chest as the machine pumped air in and out of her lungs.

* * *

"She's going to be waking up in a couple of minutes," Lauren explained to Kenzi, who was hovering over the other side of the bed.

The doctor had already administered the two medications through Bo's IV, and now all she had to do was wait for them to reverse the sedation's effects. In some people, it took a couple of minutes, and for others it took much longer before they started showing signs of consciousness. Removing a breathing tube could be tricky; if Lauren removed it too soon before Bo was ready, her vocal cords could spasm shut, suffocating her in minutes.

Kenzi watched eagerly for Bo to show any signs of waking up. She nearly squealed in happiness when Bo's eyebrows twitched, and Lauren had to remind her that it was a gradual process. Kenzi didn't let Lauren's reminder dampen her spirits at all. The minute Bo started moving the muscles on her face, she started giving Bo pep talks, trying to will the woman into waking up faster.

Bo's movements slowly became more exaggerated, and before long she was able to move her head side to side. She was also starting to gag on the tube down her throat, though she wasn't able to expel it. Kenzi looked back and forth between Lauren and Bo.

"Are you crazy?" Kenzi asked, watching a slowly waking Bo struggle. "Look at her — take it out!"

Lauren ignored Kenzi's pleas, staying true to her own medical judgement. "Bo, can you open your eyes for me?" she asked loudly, making certain the brunette could hear her. There was no response. "Bo, can you hear me?"

Bo kept shaking and trying to cough, but she showed no signs that she was able to protect her own airway if she needed to. It was uncomfortable to watch, but Lauren didn't want to risk Bo's life. Lauren grabbed Bo's hand in hers and tried again.

"Bo, if you can hear me, I want you to squeeze my hand," Lauren called out to her.

The strong squeeze against Lauren's palm in response was unmistakable. So in one fluid, practiced motion, Lauren deflated the tube's cuff and pulled the tube swiftly out. Bo finally started coughing on her own and relaxed once the obstruction was freed. Her eyes fluttered open moments later, and Kenzi practically tackled her on the bed in a wave of happy tears.

"OWW, KENZI!" Bo yelped, wincing as the girl's arms wrapped around her midsection. Kenzi realized her mistake, and relieved the pressure on Bo's injured abdomen.

"Sorry," Kenzi smiled sheepishly.

Bo frowned at the unfamiliar room and the numerous machines behind her friend. "Where am I?"

"You're at the county hospital," Lauren answered for her.

Bo turned her head around to find the source of the voice, and a look of faint recognition came to her eyes. Lauren knew Bo's memories of last night would probably be hazy at best, but most people didn't remember anything when they were that obtunded.

"I'm Dr. Lewis."

"I remember you," Bo said. Lauren could tell that she was trying to piece together her memories, which in all likelihood were scattered and disjointed.

"Dr. Hotpants here saved your life, Bo," Kenzi explained.

Bo glanced down to her covered stomach, and she removed the sheets to examine her wound. The tape from the dressings stung as she pulled it off, but Bo was amazed by what she saw. The knife wound had been neatly closed and stitched, and there was another surgical incision that was also neatly sewn together. There was hardly any blood around it, and the tiny bit that was there was already dried. Bo could hardly believe that it was the same injury as the one she sustained earlier.

"Thank you," Bo whispered, as she looked back to Lauren. "How long was I out?"

Lauren glanced quickly at the clock on the far wall. "Just over twenty-four hours. And you've been out of surgery for a little over twelve hours." Bo sighed at the news and leaned back into her pillow. A worried frown found its way to her face, but she didn't say anything. Something was on her mind, Lauren knew. "Is everything all right?" she asked.

The frown went away, and it was instantly replaced by a smile. Lauren was right — Bo's smile could light up an entire city. It sent a flutter though Lauren's stomach.

"Everything's fine," Bo assured her. "I'm feeling great actually."

"That's wonderful news. I'm thinking that we can move you down to the regular floor today, and hopefully, you'll be ready to go home in a couple of days."

Bo glanced toward Kenzi, and an unspoken exchange passed between them. "Is there any way I could go home today?" Bo asked, looking back to Lauren.

Lauren shook her head. "I definitely wouldn't recommend it."

"Please?" Bo batted her eyes, clearly trying to talk Lauren into letting her have her way. "I promise I'll be good." Her bright smile came out again, and the fluttering in Lauren's midsection returned.

Lauren couldn't help but stare at her. The doctor wasn't sure how long she did it, but Lauren did realize that it went on longer than was purely innocent. She cleared her voice to break herself out of her reverie, and Bo's expression turned to one of amusement.

"_Maybe_ tomorrow," Lauren compromised. "But you need to do everything the therapists tell you tonight and tomorrow morning, okay?"

"Whatever you say, Dr. Lewis," Bo grinned.

"Good. I'll be back to check on you in a few hours, and I want to see you sitting upright in bed by then. Understood?"

The brunette gave her a mock salute. "Yes ma'am."

Kenzi and Bo thanked Lauren yet again, and Lauren slipped out of the room to return to her shift downstairs. Despite all the work and business at the trauma bay, Lauren couldn't understand how every spare second became filled with thoughts of Bo. For some inexplicable reason, treating severed hands, gunshot wounds, and shattered ribs didn't seem to keep her mind fully occupied.

The woman _was_ certainly a mystery — her glowing eyes, the accelerated healing rate, and how she survived an injury that should have killed her within minutes in the first place. Yet somehow, Lauren's mind took her to other places. She remembered the way her eyes crinkled and the attractive dimples that formed when she smiled. She remembered how expressive her eyes were. Just from her brief interactions with the awake woman, Lauren was already thinking about her in ways that were _not_ normal.

She was nearly done with her shift when she received a page from the ICU. They requested that she return immediately, and Lauren instantly found her heart in her throat. Bo was the only patient Lauren was still following in the ICU, and typically, whenever they called Lauren specifically up for a consult, it was never a good thing. Lauren was almost running the second the elevator doors opened. Her breathing was much harder than normal when she reached the physician's workroom from some combination of her jogging and her anxiety over Bo.

"Dr. Lang?" Lauren said to the on call doctor who was busy filling out paperwork at one of the staff desks.

Dr. Lang turned around quickly, and she seemed surprised to see Lauren so soon. "Ah, Dr. Lewis. Thank you for coming by." She reached out to shake Lauren's hand. "I just wanted to let you know that your stab wound patient signed out AMA about an hour ago."

"Pardon?"

"Bo Dennis, in bed two? She just left."

Lauren gaped at her, confused by the report she was getting. "I don't understand. I just extubated her a few hours ago, and she was literally stabbed yesterday — almost to death. _How_ did she manage to leave AMA?"

"She walked out of here. On her own two feet, I might add," Dr. Lang said. "I can't explain it myself personally, but I also can't stop her from leaving. Especially when she's able to walk herself out of the hospital."

It was just another mystery to Bo — though it seemed like now Lauren was never going to get another chance to solve them all. The woman defied nearly everything Lauren knew about modern medicine and then… just disappeared. It didn't appear as if Lauren would ever get any of the answers she sought.

"She did leave this in her room though, right after she signed the papers," Dr. Lang added, handing out a folded sheet of paper. It read _Lauren_ across the front in hurried cursive. "We figured it was for you, as you were the only person named Lauren who had any interaction with her at all."

Lauren grasped the paper gratefully. "Thank you, Dr. Lang."

The elevator ride back to the bottom was quiet, and Lauren could resist the urge to peek inside any longer. The message was agonizingly brief, but it made Lauren's heart beat faster nonetheless.

_Your eyes are even more beautiful than the stars. Thank you. For everything. _

_Love, Bo._

If Lauren found it difficult to keep Bo out of her thoughts before then, the last hour of her shift was nearly impossible. Her work became a mere afterthought behind the brunette. The only thing that allowed Lauren to keep working satisfactorily was that much of it was so second nature that it didn't require her full mental engagement. For the first time in her life, it was almost a relief to go home.

The sun was just starting to rise as Lauren left the hospital through the staff exit. Its rays came shining in through the glass doors and were blinding as she stepped out. Through the brightness, she saw three people waiting near the doorway, and tried to sidestep them to head out to her car. The one on the edge moved in front of her, impeding her exit.

Lauren wasn't sure if the move was intentional or not. He might have been just trying to move out of her way, and they happened to choose the same direction — the awkward dance that often happened in hallways or in closed areas where many people were trying to move at once. But as she looked up, she felt a growing unease in her mind.

The man in front of her was much larger than she was, and his beard made it difficult to see his full facial expression. But his blue eyes were accusing, and it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She chanced a glance at the other two — a tall blonde woman dressed in all leather, and a more clean cut man wearing slacks and a button up shirt — and their expressions were similar. Lauren didn't know if this unfortunate run-in was completely by accident or if she was being targeted, but she realized that she needed to get out of here. And quickly.

"_Doctor_ Lauren Lewis?" the bearded man said with a sneer. Apparently this _was_ an arranged encounter.

"Can I help you?" Lauren answered. She tried to keep her voice as even as possible.

"You've meddled in things you shouldn't have meddled in, Doctor."

"Excuse me?"

"Imagine my surprise when I heard that not only did Isabeau _not_ stay in the alley to die two nights ago — she was busy being treated." He paused. "By you."

Lauren's breath caught in her throat. It didn't take her long to connect the name _Isabeau_ to Bo, the woman that left this hospital just a couple of hours previously. He didn't say it outright, but the man in front of her suggested he played some role in her attack. Suddenly Lauren started to fear for her own safety. She was alone, and she was outnumbered. Coincidentally, they were also out of range from the nearest security cameras.

"I was just doing my job," Lauren explained. "And now I'm going to go home. So if you'll excuse me…" she stepped to the side to try and pass again. This time, he grabbed her arm, firmly enough to hold her still.

"It's not that simple, Dr. Lewis," he said menacingly.

Lauren was officially terrified, and she could no longer keep it out of her voice. "What is it that you want from me?"

"What do _I_ want from you? I don't want anything from you. If it were up to me, I'd take care of you right here and be done with it. But I have to follow orders."

"And that is _what_ exactly?"

The man glanced at his two colleagues and nodded his head, setting off a chain reaction of events. The other man approached Lauren from behind and held her arms behind her back, and with the woman's help, they swept Lauren off her feet and into the air. She kicked wildly at her assailants, yet they only gripped tighter. Lauren was struggling so intensely that she missed the fact that they'd carried her to the nearest side of the parking lot. She cried for help — repeatedly — but there was nobody outside to hear her.

The three shoved her inside the backseat of their vehicle, where more permanent bindings were swiftly slipped onto her arms and legs. Lauren was about to yell again, when she felt a sharp stinging in her thigh. It was a syringe buried all the way to the base.

"Good night, Doctor," the bearded man said before the world went black.


	7. Thralled

Bo's stomach still hurt like hell, but it wasn't nearly as bad as she expected. She even managed to swing her legs off the side of the bed and push herself upright a few seconds after Lauren left the room. Bo let her bare feet rest on the cold tile floor, and Kenzi merely looked at her like she'd lost her mind.

"Uh Bo, what are you doing?" Kenzi asked, an alarmed look on her face. She was already heading to the other side of the bed to try and push Bo back down into the bed. "You're supposed to be taking it easy… Did you not catch that? Or were you too distracted by the boobs and the hairporn?"

A slight curve grew at the edge of Bo's mouth at the mention of the blonde doctor. Kenzi must have noticed the way the succubus was looking at her was not entirely innocent. But it was only a brief fantasy — there was no way she could pursue it. The thought sobered Bo again, and a more serious look replaced her grin.

"We have to leave now, Kenz. We can't be here," Bo gestured generally to the room with a wave of her hand. "_I_ can't be here. If they find out that I'm not exactly… normal — or _when_ they find out —" she corrected, "— we're in deep trouble. We can't just stick around and wait for that to happen."

Kenzi frowned. "But you're still hurt. Aren't you at least going to wait until Dr. Lewis comes back and gives you a clean bill of health? I think that's only fair."

As much as Bo wanted to see Dr. Lewis again, she knew that every second she stayed at this human hospital was risky for both of them. It placed Bo in a vulnerable position by potentially exposing her to the human world at large, and it exposed Lauren to the world of the Fae.

The irony was that unbeknownst to humans most Fae dealt with them on a regular basis, and Bo was no exception to that rule. Sometimes, the succubus did end up feeding on humans when the situation required it, as did other Fae. The humans were none the wiser about what was actually occurring and were allowed to continue their normal lives. There was no shame seen in such an arrangement. The problem arose when humans _did_ learn of their magical world. And at that point, most Fae considered them a huge liability. It was the same reason Bo had to thrall many of her human soldiers and was also most likely the same reason Kenzi wore the brand on her wrist (though Bo hadn't asked).

"Every minute I'm here is dangerous, Kenzi," Bo explained. "And not just for me. If the doctor finds out about any of this, she's going to be in just as much trouble, if not more. The rebels are going to be looking for me, and I'm sure this is one of the first places they'd come looking."

"Bo, I followed you into that alley last night. I know you told be to stay at the compound, but I couldn't just sit there and _not_ know. I saw what happened outside. I know they left you there for dead. How do you know that they don't just _assume_ you are?"

Bo's eyebrows raised at Kenzi's confession. The revelation that Kenzi followed her into the alley was surprising. But in hindsight, it was really the only explanation for how Bo was rescued, so she couldn't complain in the slightest. Bo had been certain that her group was completely isolated that night. She had lookouts in the group to make sure they weren't being watched or followed, and it was baffling how the tiny human apparently escaped their notice. Bo was mostly surprised because Kenzi followed her in the first place. It was an extremely dangerous move on her part, but Bo was thankful she'd done it. She just didn't know what she'd done to garner such loyalty from the human in the first place.

Bo answered her question truthfully: "They know I'm not dead because they would have sent their cleaners immediately. If the cleaners showed up, and I wasn't there…" she trailed off.

Kenzi frowned. "I'm sorry, but 'cleaners'?" She'd apparently never heard the terminology, which Bo was thankful for.

"Whenever Fae are killed, or they leave their feeds out in the open, Fae call on cleaners to dispose of the bodies," Bo explained. "They aren't really involved in any of the fighting, but most of them tend to only work for one side or the other. It's a nice arrangement for them."

"So what are they exactly?"

Bo raised a single eyebrow at her. "Have you seen _Hannibal_?"

"Ye—" Kenzi's voice dropped off when she pieced together Bo's words. "Oh my god! They fucking _eat_ people?!"

"It's how they feed." Bo shrugged. "Most of them are Wendigos or Aswangs. I've heard there are also a few Anthrophagi and Orculli, but thankfully I haven't met any of them personally."

The distaste in Kenzi's expression was evident. Bo understood completely; she'd never personally seen any of the cleaners in action, but the mere description of them made her glad she wasn't left in the alley last night. Otherwise she'd be rolling around in one of their stomachs right about now. The thought of it was nauseating.

"That's hideous," Kenzi said, expressing enough disgust for the both of them.

"It is. But you see why I have to get out of here. When the rebels found out where I am, and that I'm alone with no backup…"

"They'd come here and finish what they started," Kenzi finished for her, nodding as she understood why Bo felt the need to suddenly leave. "Okay, so what about your doctor friend? Are they gonna come get her too?"

"If I can leave before they find out where I am, she shouldn't have any problems. As far as I know, she hasn't found anything out of the ordinary."

Kenzi tilted her head to the side in thought for a moment. "So what are you going to do about all the fact that your clothes got hacked up to shreds and that whole 'gaping stomach wound' thing?"

Bo only vaguely remembered the people around the exam table shearing off her clothes last night. The most clear memory she had was of the pair of light brown eyes that poised themselves above hers last night. They reflected tiny little flecks of light that made them absolutely shine, and Bo couldn't explain why despite everything that happened, _that_ was the image that stuck with her the most.

Bo reached for the pad of paper left by her bedside table and smirked. "Why Kenzi, I think I have a solution for that. I think it's about time that I called the nurse," she said before scribbling a brief message and folding the paper into thirds.

* * *

Kenzi discreetly kept watch outside as Bo had her way with the nurse that answered Bo's call. There was a brief flash of orange as Bo touched the nurse's hand, and after that, Bo didn't need to convince her at all to join her in the supply room. From all Kenzi understood about succubi, she knew that Bo would probably be feeling much better after the rendezvous. What she didn't expect was for Bo to emerge wearing all of the nurse's clothes.

Bo stepped out twenty minutes later in blue scrub attire, the exact same outfit her partner had been wearing moments previously. Gone was the hospital robe and slight limp. It appeared as if she even had the nurse remove the stitches on her healed face. Bo was completely renewed, but now she looked as if she worked at the hospital.

"_This_ was you idea for clothes? Shag prizes?" Kenzi asked her incredulously, giving her an appraising once over. "I mean, hell — I think I could have managed to get you some jeans or something."

"Let's just go," Bo rolled her eyes.

Kenzi had to lead them both out of the hospital, as Bo had no idea where she was going. She'd been unconscious through most of her stay here and wouldn't know where the hallways went and where the elevators were. Kenzi ended up learning where most things were the first time she left Bo's room to go to the cafeteria. She'd gotten hopelessly lost and ended up walking through just about every corner of the place.

The main entrance was just ahead of them. Though the sun wasn't up yet, there was a faint glow from the tall glass panels that illuminated the lobby. It was the blue light that came right before the sun started its ascent, and it tempered the harsh florescent lights overhead. There were other hallways that veered off to the right and left, and as she and Bo passed one, Kenzi allowed herself to glance to her right.

Her throat tightened as she saw the person staring right at her, causing her steps to falter. There was no way the look could have been intended for anyone else, and his gaze practically burned into her skin. He pulled one of his friends aside, another man in slacks and a funny hat, and pointed right at her and Bo. They both stared straight at her and whispered to each other.

"Something wrong?" Bo asked noticing the hitch in Kenzi's step.

Kenzi quickly looked away before Bo could follow her gaze, turning it determinedly toward the lobby doors. "No. Let's just get the hell out of here. The car should already be out front."

Bo agreed without any questions asked, so Kenzi pushed her legs to move faster. It was only when the cars of Bo's private ride were shut and locked that she allowed herself to breathe easily again. She'd seen those people only once before, and what happened afterward was something she would rather not remember. She shut her eyes for the rest of the trip back to the compound, trying to repress the memories from resurfacing.

* * *

"Are you sure you're all right Kenzi?" Bo asked her as she was sharpening her knives. It was still far too early to confront Aife, who demanded never to be awoken before ten. Bo was attempting to busy herself with other tasks until then. "You haven't said much since we left."

Kenzi was sitting on the couch tensely, and preferred to stare at her own hands in her lap. She made no indication that she'd even heard Bo's question and remained silent.

"Kenzi?" Bo tried again after several moments. She placed her knife and sharpening stone down on the desk and approached the younger girl, kneeling in front of her. "What's wrong?"

"Why do Fae take humans as slaves?" Kenzi asked. Her voice was fragile, even more so than when Bo first met her. She'd been initially terrified of Bo, and to hear the tone returning made Bo's stomach clench in response.

The succubus swallowed. "I don't think there's an entirely good explanation," Bo said honestly. "Though if anything, I would guess it's a combination of arrogance and fear."

She shook her head slowly. "That's not a good reason to do anything."

"I know."

One of the reasons Bo chose to initially not align herself with either the Light or the Dark was because of their arrogance. Instead of working to achieve anything useful, they only ever raised conflict to uphold their reputations and to display their power. That arrogance extended in other ways, however. Anyone _not_ in the clan was despised. Even as a Fae, Bo was a friendless outcast in their world for years before she'd found her mother, and for humans it was even worse than that.

One promise Bo made to herself early on was that she wouldn't treat anyone any differently than anyone else. She'd kept that promise: though she thralled humans, she also thralled Fae — and with no preference to clan. Kenzi was the only one of Bo's allies that the succubus _did_ treat differently.

"Why did the rebels take you?" Bo asked.

Kenzi took a deep breath and glanced at her boots. "In case you haven't noticed, I kind of have sticky fingers." She turned her foot to the side so Bo could see it more clearly. It took Bo a moment to understand, but then she saw what Kenzi was trying to show her.

"Hey! Are those mine?" Bo asked, shocked to discover that the girl had not only found her locked closet, but that she'd also devised a way to get inside. They were Bo's favorite designer boots.

"Yes, but I'll consider it as payment for keeping you from becoming cannibal kibble." The edge of Kenzi's mouth flickered upward in the faintest hint of a grin.

"Fair point. I guess they're yours then."

"Thanks. Anyway, my cousin's a construction worker, and told me about this place over on 6th Street that just had a new vault built in — one of the high security ones that banks have, you know? Said that whoever owned the building now was filthy rich and was renovating the entire place."

Bo's heart beat quickened as she listened to Kenzi's story. "What happened?"

"I checked it out. I knew of the vault manufacturer, so I had a pretty good idea of how to get inside. Then one night, I went for it. There wasn't a lot in there — at least not at that point — but I took what I could carry. I probably got a least a couple of thousand dollars worth of stuff. Mostly some jewelry, but a few other things as well," Kenzi said. "They must have followed me because when I got home, they came in and took me." She paused. "I never knew their names. Only their faces."

Bo's mind was reeling from the revelation. The vault Kenzi was talking about was on 6th street, which happened to be where the old Dark Fae compound was located — and where Bo hired contractors to come install a new vault several months ago. It had also been the same vault Bo assumed the rebels had broken into months ago. Bo and her mother wouldn't use the new facilities until the renovations were completed, so Kenzi had no way of knowing what the building actually was for.

She reached forward and placed her hand on Kenzi's knee urgently. "Kenzi, do you remember anything about the jewelry you took?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Was there by any chance a silver necklace? Small, square-shaped pendant, a blue stone at the center with smaller black ones at the corners?"

Kenzi looked at Bo in disbelief, her eyes wide."How'd you know?"

"That's what they wanted from you that night," Bo said.

There was a sudden knock on the door that snapped both of them out of their conversation. The ringing of the metal knocker against plate rang out three times before the doors were pushed open. Bruce stepped inside, offering Bo a bow before speaking.

"Mistress Bo, you and your human are being summoned by Aife at once," he said. There was no menace or expression at all in his voice, but the demand itself was intimidating. It didn't help that he was bigger than Bo and Kenzi put together.

Bo had been summoned before by Aife, but it was only ever on her own time. Aife was always content with allowing Bo to visit as it fit into her schedule, and the deviation from her normal routine didn't seem pleasant in any foreseeable way.

Kenzi and Bo shared an uneasy glance. "Both of us?" Bo asked again for clarification.

"Yes ma'am. Both of you."

Kenzi swallowed thickly. "Lead the way," she told Bo with as much false bravado as she could.

Bo and Kenzi followed Bruce across the arcade down the familiar path. It was still far too early for Aife typically to be awake, as Bo could tell by the bright sunlight filtering in horizontally through the windows. Bruce wasted no time in pushing open Aife's doors and allowing them inside. He stepped out again and clicked the doors shut. The sound was impossibly loud and echoed through the huge stone room.

"Bo, you're alive! What excellent news," Aife chirped from the far corner. "I'd feared the worst yesterday once your soldiers returned without you." Bo and Kenzi watched warily as she sauntered over.

"Yes, I was fortunate enough to be rescued," Bo replied dryly. "I spent yesterday recovering, and now I'm good as new."

"How lovely, dear."

Bo's patience was slowly ebbing with Aife's continued banter, and she let out an exaggerated exhale. "You summoned us?"

A playful smile rose on Aife's lips. "Why yes, I did. You see, Bo — I am grateful for your survival. But I distinctly remember telling your human to stay put. So you can imagine my surprise when I heard that not only had your pet left — it had also never returned."

"She was the one that got me out of there!" Bo defended Kenzi. "If she hadn't left, I would have bled out on the streets and died!"

"You're too young to understand these things, Isabeau," Aife shook her head at her daughter. "Remember the larger purpose. Had she been found by the rebels and taken, there's no telling what kind of information she could have provided them. All of us would be at risk. I will not allow this entire operation to be at risk simply because you cannot keep your pet on a leash!"

"She wouldn't do that!" Bo allowed her voice to raise a little, and Aife narrowed her eyes at her.

"Never underestimate what the blood king can _make_ anyone do." It was a simple statement, but it was said with such conviction that Bo was certain there was a story behind it.

"Fine," Bo finally conceded. "If you're worried about her being caught, then she can stay here, right Kenzi?" Bo turned to face her friend, who was watching the exchange with a worried look on her face.

"I'm afraid that's not going to be quite enough this time, dear," Aife said with a shake of her head. "You see, we've already tried that method once, and she defied orders. I was just about to send in more soldiers as a preemptive attack since I assumed she was taken. My opinion on the matter hasn't changed now that you both have returned."

Bo gulped. "What is your plan then?"

Aife smiled sweetly and closed the distance between them. She reached forward to lightly grasp hands with a terrified looking Kenzi, who looked at Bo for support. But Bo was confused as Kenzi was, and she had none to offer.

"Right this way, love," Aife said, giving Kenzi's hands a slight tug. She didn't have much of an option not to follow, and Bo stood her ground as she waited for Aife to speak again.

It all clicked for Bo a fraction of a second too late. She opened her mouth to protest, but before any sound could escape, Aife had drawn a curved blade from beneath her sleeve and dragged it across her and Kenzi's hands simultaneously. Aife squeezed their hands together tightly, and a vacant expression came across Kenzi's face. It was a face Bo was all too familiar with.

Kenzi was now her thrall.

A rage started building within Bo, and she barely caught Aife's next words, but she understood when she was being dismissed. Kenzi would of course, remain at Aife's side now. She wouldn't speak to Bo unless Aife permitted it. She wouldn't even see Bo unless Aife permitted it, or unless some happy chance happened to let them cross paths.

Bo stormed out at the first opportunity Aife gave her. Her steps in the arcade gradually turned into a jog, and later a run, so when Bo reached her hall, she slammed the doors opened viciously with all the speed built up behind her.

It had been a long, long time since such anger pulsed in Bo's veins. She was unable to see anything else through the cloud of it, and the only thing that made any sense was breaking something — or a lot of somethings. She sent the wooden chair in front of her desk flying, shattering it against the wall. She ripped out the desk drawers and smashed them on the floor. It was a blind, implacable rage, and it didn't even start to fade until nearly everything in Bo's room was either broken or damaged. Bo simply stood in the middle of her room amongst the damage breathing hard, looking for anything else to break that might give her some satisfaction.

It was the first time Bo had broken a real promise, and it was to one of the first people she cared about in her life — her first real friend. She'd promised that Kenzi would stay just as she was. Now Bo hated herself, and what she and her mother were capable of.

Bo stewed in her anger for several more hours before it slowly started to reach more manageable levels. She was struck by the thought that it was the first time she'd felt angry in months. Bo had always believed the best of her mother, and had never once disagreed with what she said — until now. Bo never even had feelings of annoyance to Aife before; she'd practically worshiped the ground she walked on, and Bo always considered her a visionary. But all that was broken now, and Bo couldn't see how she could ever go back to how things were before.

_Could _I _have been thralled?_ Bo thought, almost as a joke to herself.

But the more she considered it, the less absurd it sounded. It wasn't an entirely outlandish idea. She wouldn't put it past her mother and her ambition to resort to such tactics. Bo just couldn't remember a time when it actually happened, a set moment when Aife mixed their blood to bind it together. There was only one way to tell if it really occurred though.

Bo hurried out of her room again and bounded through the arcade toward the main entrance, blowing past several disinterested looking soldiers on the way. Her driver was stationed by the door, and made a move to fetch the private car.

"No, it's fine. I'll drive," Bo told him. She didn't want news of her errand to return to her mother. "Can I have my keys?"

He nodded and fished out the proper keys from their proper spot on the board of hangers. Bo grabbed it quickly and ran out to her car. It was far different from the more refined luxury sedan that she usually took nowadays, but Bo always preferred her old Camaro when driving herself.

The turn off for 6th street was only a few miles from the old Light compound, and with Bo's speed, she made it in record time. In her haste, she even haphazardly parked with one of her front tires mounting the curb, not that she cared much. The construction workers milling about eyed her curiously as she ran inside, but she paid them no attention. She only stopped once she reached the vault, inserted the key, and twisted the lever to pry the door open.

Bo stepped inside cautiously, making sure no workers were around. None of them seemed to be working on this floor, thankfully. She spotted what she was looking for instantly, mostly because it was hands down the ugliest thing in the entire place. The stone gargoyle was perched on the middle shelf, and though it appeared to be merely a stone statue, that's only because it was sleeping. Bo poked its rocky shoulder firmly to wake it up. The creature shuddered at the contact, and finally lifted its horned head to look at the intruder.

"Isabeau." The gargoyle's voice was low and gravelly. "I told you to give me at least a few years before you woke me up again."

"I'm sorry, Avolith. I need your help."

"What is it?"

Normally, Bo would have liked to avoid telling her plans to anyone else. Especially as they could be influenced by magic or by blood, as Bo and her mother did. But as a gargoyle, Avolith was immune to such power. He couldn't be swayed or affected in any way by the Fae, and it's why they valued him. He was the only real neutral player in the Fae political world. So naturally, he was a tremendous source of knowledge due to all that confided in him over the centuries.

Bo took a deep breath. "I think my mother may have compromised me," she said. "I wasn't aware at the time, but think she may have been using me before to help fight her battles."

Avolith eyed her curiously on his perch. "That's certainly an interesting theory, young Isabeau. And what is it that you want me to do to help?"

"I want to know if I really was her thrall or not," Bo answered sharply, as if it were obvious.

"You misunderstand me." He spoke more slowly, and the pace made his raspy voice more noticeable. "Ask yourself this: If you were to receive an answer either way, would it change _your_ plans at all?"

Bo fell silent at the question. If she wasn't thralled by her mother, she'd be relieved, but if she had been thralled… What would she do, exactly? It's not as if she would go running off to join the rebels. But she knew she couldn't continue to work subserviently to her mother.

Aife once promised Bo that she would "open up Bo's world" to endless new possibilities. There was talk of taking down the broken establishment and starting over, creating a place where people didn't have to declare themselves as anything. There wouldn't be sides anymore and petty infighting. There wouldn't be the authority of a clan elder hanging over people's heads. People could just simply _be_. In peace.

Bo missed those ideas, and it felt like she'd gone astray during the past few months. She wasn't sure exactly how she'd do it at the moment, but Bo was certain she could find a way.

"Yes, it would change my plans," Bo announced after a minute. She pulled up the sleeve of her leather jacket to expose her forearm.

"As you wish then."

Bo offered her forearm to the gargoyle, who brought it to his mouth and bit down. It wasn't a savage bite, yet it was hard enough to draw significant blood. Bo winced as the teeth tore through her skin, but she kept her arm still as Avolith tasted her. After a moment he pulled away with blood covering his mouth.

"So? What's the verdict, Yoda?" Bo asked.

"There only an aftertaste of your mother's influence. Nothing more."

"Meaning what exactly?"

"You _were_ indeed thralled, as you suspected, though the thrall has since been taken away." Bo felt a tiny flare of earlier anger return at the news. "There's something else though, something foreign that doesn't taste like your essence at all."

Bo's eyebrows furrowed in thought. "I just got out of the hospital, and I'm sure I had about fifty medications going all at once at some point. Could that have anything to do with it?"

"Perhaps. I think any more of your questions might be more appropriate for a doctor, young Isabeau." If Bo wasn't mistaken, there was an air of humor in his rough sounding words. "So if you'll excuse me, I would like to get back to sleep."

Bo let out a chuckle at the old gargoyle. He slept ten years at a time, if not more, and yet he still complained of being constantly tired. "Good night, Avalith."

"Good luck, young Isabeau." He returned to his original perched position and gave Bo a wink before going completely statuesque again.

Bo still had many questions. Most of them revolved around how to fight her mother's thrall, both for Kenzi's sake and moving forward with her own plan — whatever that may turn out to be. There was only one event that could have changed everything, and Bo needed to find out everything that happened during that time, mostly because she wasn't awake for it herself.

She needed to find Lauren.


	8. Negotiations

When the world finally started coming into focus, Lauren was sure she had to be dreaming. Either that or she was dead. It was the only way to explain the ball of light shining in her eyes and how it stood out so clearly against the blackness surrounding it. It was intriguing, and Lauren couldn't look away.

Her senses started becoming more clear several moments later. Her vision sharpened, and she could tell now that the strange light was in fact a single light bulb dangling from the ceiling overhead. Other than cone of light from the bulb, the place was completely dark. Lauren also was fairly sure that she didn't put herself in this position, where her legs were splayed awkwardly on the ground and her back was contorted in an uncomfortable twist. She tried to push herself upright, but a searing pain in her wrist stopped her.

Lauren winced and instinctively pulled the limb close to her. It was throbbing now, and there was an unmistakable bandage put on it (or at least an attempt at a bandage). Under the light, Lauren could see the loose material draped from around her hand to her mid forearm. Slowly — very slowly — she began to pull back the dressings to expose her skin. She gasped when the gauze came loose.

There was a deep, angry burn on the back of her wrist. It was still bleeding in some places, and the doctor in her was abhorred by what she saw. The fresh, red wound was arranged in a clear artistic pattern, and Lauren knew it had been placed there on purpose.

Lauren grew still when she heard the soft murmur of voices outside. The words were muffled and garbled by the walls, but the deep tones were unmistakable. Lauren stayed silent. She didn't know whether to call for help or pretend she was still sleeping. Neither made much sense, she knew. There were just no other options.

A loud click made Lauren's heart jump in her chest, and on the farthest wall, a light slowly became visible from the bottom. It was some type of door, she realized, and it rattled on its rails as the person behind it lifted it all the way to the ceiling. All Lauren could see was the silhouette from her position. She instinctively scrambled upright and pushed herself backward as they approached, further and further until her own back hit the far wall.

"Who are you?" she asked the approaching figure. There was no answer. "I said, 'who are you?'" she tried again, more loudly this time. The person made no indication to stop and continued until they were standing at Lauren's feet.

Lauren clenched her eyes shut and waited for more pain to come. There was no other reason for her to be locked up in an old, dank room — other than something unpleasant. All she had to do was wait for it. Hopefully, it would all be over quickly.

"Let me see your wrist," the voice said gently. Lauren immediately identified as belonging to a woman, and she opened her eyes to see for herself. It was the woman from the parking lot crouched right in front of her. Lauren instantly tensed and tried to move away, but the woman reached out to grab her good arm, holding her still. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Lauren could make out her facial features more clearly with their proximity. Her faint green eyes didn't hold any malice behind them, but they were cold, expressionless. "What do you want from me?" Lauren whispered.

The blonde woman released her tight hold on Lauren and reached for her injured one. Lauren pulled it away from her, holding it close to her chest.

"Let me see," the woman said again. She reached forward, more slowly this time, grabbing the hand Lauren had clutched against her, but this time Lauren didn't resist.

Lauren watched in silence as the blond woman pulled the gauze off completely. She rinsed the wound off with cool water from her bag, and the sensation was more soothing than any Lauren had felt so far. The throbbing slowly started to ebb away. Lauren simply allowed the other woman work over her wrist, at once grateful for the small courtesy yet worried about angering her further.

"This is going to sting a bit, but it's going to help you heal faster," the stranger said in a matter of fact tone. She pulled out a jar and set it at Lauren's feet.

"What is it?" Lauren asked, unable to stop herself. The woman didn't answer, and Lauren hissed in pain when the substance hit her damaged skin. It burned — a lot — and her initially instinct was to pull her hand away and get whatever it was off of her completely.

As if reading Lauren's mind, the stranger added: "Leave it on there, it will help."

Lauren forced her hand to relax, but she couldn't stop the tears behind her eyes. It was a combination of pain, frustration, and fear, and the sum of it was just too much for her. They spilled over, and there was nothing Lauren could do to stop it. "Who are you?" she asked again, more feebly than she did the first time.

The woman with the light blonde hair tilted her head and eyed Lauren curiously. She didn't seem to be affected by the emotional outburst in any way, but she was clearly had something on her mind. Her face was impossible to read.

"My name is Tamsin," she said after several long moments before moving to place fresh bandages on Lauren's wrist.

Lauren decided to try one of her other questions again now that she'd finally gotten a response. "What is it that you want from me?"

"Me? I don't want anything from you." Tamsin finished wrapping the bandage and fastened the adhesive down. She finally let Lauren's hand go, and the doctor let it fall into her lap. It was still stinging painfully, but it was somewhat less than it was a minute ago.

"Then why am I here?"

"Risk management."

"Pardon?"

"You interfered with the world of the Fae," Tamsin said, looking Lauren squarely in the eyes. "Your little friend should have died two nights ago, but yet — you saved her. And then on top of that, you let her go with someone else's property. Someone that wasn't hers."

"I'm sorry, but is this about Bo?" Lauren asked, confused. "I heard you talking about her earlier, and if you had anything at all to do with how she was attacked, I won't hesitate to call the po—"

"You know your friend isn't exactly the innocent party in all of this," Tamsin interrupted her.

"What?"

Tamsin's eyes hardened. "She's shed more blood than most people have in a lifetime. So — accident or not, you'll be staying here." Her voice was final, and she collected her things, replacing them in the bag over her shoulder.

Tamsin's voice was bitter when she spoke of Bo, and even though Lauren was no trained psychiatrist, she had enough sense to guess the reason why.

"Who was it?" Lauren asked softly. "Who did you lose?"

Tamsin ignored the question and rose to her feet again, towering over Lauren. She was at the entrance before she turned back around to face the doctor. All Lauren could see was her silhouette once again. "I'll bring by some books later to keep you busy," Tamsin announced. "For some people it helps to pass the time. You seem like the type."

Tamsin reached up to grab the sliding door, but before she pulled it down shut, she added in a whisper, barely loud enough for Lauren to hear, "It was my sister."

The base of the door struck the ground with a thud, the lock clicked shut, and just like that, Lauren found herself in semi-darkness once again.

* * *

Bo found her way through the hospital easily, but it was a nightmare getting in touch with someone competent enough to get her what she needed. She needed to talk to Lauren, and half the people working in the place didn't know where anything was besides their own desk.

Eventually Bo just decided to show up in the trauma bay, since she knew Lauren worked there. It was supposed to be "authorized access only," but she'd never let such obstacles stop her in the past. Bo just casually slipped in behind a few nurses returning from their break. She was so nonchalant about it that none of them even realized that she'd come in behind them. The triage manager was seated at the front desk, so Bo put on her most charming smile and wandered over.

"Hi, I need to speak with Dr. Lauren Lewis," Bo greeted. "I'm a former patient, and I'm sure she'd love to see how I'm doing." Bo smiled hugely in an attempt to further win the man over. He was slight in stature and hunched over his computer, so Bo had to lean herself forward over the desk to make herself visible to him. She made sure to give him a good view of her assets over the top of her low cut shirt, but he only looked up at her annoyed.

Bo was shocked. Normally she never failed to get a reaction, but there was no change in his aura at all. He was most definitely not aroused by the show was putting on, and Bo returned to standing upright, noticing that her cleavage wasn't going to win her any points with this man.

"You can't," he answered in a clipped voice before returning to his typing.

"I can't _what_ exactly?"

"You can't speak with Dr. Lewis," he said in an exasperated tone. He looked up again, but Bo noticed his eyes wandering behind her. His aura flared and became more aroused, and she narrowed his eyes at him. Just who was this person that caught his eye when Bo couldn't?

Bo turned around to see exactly where he was looking, and suddenly she understood. He was eying the sexy male security guard by the door. The uniformed guard gave him a sly grin and a wave before disappearing down the hall. It explained why he didn't find the view of her breasts enticing at least, and Bo turned back around to give him an accusing look.

"And why exactly can't I speak with her?" Bo asked, trying to keep the annoyance out of her own voice.

"Our doctors are busy people, miss. For non-medical calls, you have to file a request with the on-call resident, and then _maybe_ Dr. Lewis would speak with you. But even then, you couldn't talk to her today if you wanted to," he said with a shrug.

"Why not?"

"It's not my job to discuss it with you!" He was beginning to get angry, Bo could tell. "And if you continue bothering me with this, I will have security come and escort you out."

"Yeah, I bet you'd like that," Bo muttered under her breath, thinking back to the guard he'd undressed with eyes moments before.

"Excuse me?"

Bo realized she wasn't going to get anywhere with him like this. He knew something, that much was obvious, but Bo couldn't use flirting to get him to talk. She had to elevate her plan. As swiftly as she could, Bo flashed her hand forward to trap his on his desk, and when she'd successfully pinned his hand on the desk, she hit him with a hard and steady pulse. His face relaxed into a contended glow. Once Bo could see his arousal start to rise, she started questioning him.

"Where is Dr. Lewis?" she asked again, maintaining the physical connection between them both.

A huge stupid grin came to the man's face as he gazed at Bo. "She's not here."

"I didn't ask where she _isn't_, I asked where she _is_," Bo said. "Do you know where she's at?"

He shook his head slowly. "She didn't come in today."

"Is she sick?"

"I don't know. She didn't call in, and Dr. Lewis _always_ calls in. I had to call in a stand-in to cover for her, and I still haven't been able to get a hold of her all morning." His eyes became distracted, and his smile grew even bigger. "You know… You're really, really pretty."

Bo ignored the compliment. "Where can I find her?"

"Huh?"

"Her address," Bo clarified, pulsing him again. "I need it."

"Of course, right away," he assured her. There were a few bouts of clicking on the computer, and then the printer spat out a page. The manager handed it to Bo, who quickly glanced over it.

It appeared to be some sort of employee profile. It had all of Lauren's contact information, not just her address. It was extremely detailed and even listed the research projects she was involved with at the hospital. It was everything Bo needed.

"Thank you," Bo said, letting go of his hand. He seemed to miss the contact immediately, and frowned when Bo started to walk away.

"Wait!" he called after her, standing up when Bo was nearly out of his sight. "I love you!"

"I know," Bo said, shaking her head. "I know."

She kept on walking out of the hospital and back to her car, clutching on to the sheet of paper tightly and never once looking back. During the drive, Bo placed three calls to each of Lauren's contact numbers. The home phone rang over to voicemail, the office phone kept ringing for several minutes before Bo finally gave up, and the cell phone disconnected the moment Bo's call went through.

The thought crossed Bo's mind early on that something bad might have happened to her. The second the triage manager mentioned that Lauren hadn't arrived at work, Bo allowed herself to imagine all the worst case scenarios. With each passing minute and each method of contact turning up empty, Bo was starting to consider any one of them a likely possibility. By the time she'd turned up empty on the third number, Bo was already unconsciously driving faster to get to Lauren's apartment. When she got there, she scrambled up to Lauren's unit on the top floor and pounded on the door with her fist.

"Lauren!" she called out loudly through the door. There was no answer, so Bo pressed her ear to the door to see if she could hear anything happening inside. There was only silence, so she pounded again. "Dr. Lewis!"

There was a sound of a door opening seconds later, which initially made Bo's heart flutter. But it quickly went away when she realized it was Lauren's elderly neighbor. The old woman stepped outside carrying a baseball bat and wearing her pink nightgown. The old, white-haired woman looked nervous more than anything else.

"I'm sorry," Bo muttered, dropping her head.

"No need to yell so loud, dear." She loosened the grip on the baseball bat once she realized that Bo wasn't an attacker. "I'm sure everyone on the floor heard you."

Bo nodded. "I was looking for Dr. Lewis. Do you know where she is?"

"I don't think Lauren came in this morning after her shift," the old woman frowned. "She normally brings my mail up for me in the morning — on account of the bad hip and all — but she never came by." The old woman's face fell, and she looked sad at not seeing her young neighbor.

"Do you know anywhere else she might be? I really need to get in touch with her. Does she have like a…" Bo swallowed, "… Boyfriend? Girlfriend? Some place else she might be at?"

"Oh, heavens no!" The old woman chuckled, and shook her head. "Sweetheart, that woman is married to her work. If they allowed her to live up at that hospital, I think she would do it."

"Oh. I guess I should go then." Bo couldn't help but be a little satisfied that there was nobody romantically significant in Lauren's life. But it didn't ease her worries about her being missing. If anything, it only made it worse. Bo was about to walk away, but the woman's voice stopped her.

"If you see her, dear, would you tell her that Helga is inviting the girls over for bingo next Saturday, and that she's more than welcome to join us?"

Bo grinned at her. The idea of Lauren playing bingo with a bunch of little old ladies was adorable, and she couldn't help herself. "Oh, I will. Definitely."

* * *

True to her word, Tamsin brought by some books later. She didn't say much when she stopped by either. She practically dumped the old tomes on the ground and then walked away. But at least now Lauren had something to read.

Lauren didn't know what to expect from Tamsin's book selection, but even so, she was surprised by what Tamsin arrived with. The stoic blonde didn't seem the type for trashy romance novels or comedies, so the absence of those didn't surprise Lauren. The books Tamsin brought were huge leather bound volumes that looked to be well over three hundred years old. They weren't even printed — the words on the pages were obviously done by a skilled calligrapher and were works of art in themselves. Lauren traced over the dimly lit words with her fingers, mimicking the pen strokes herself.

The first book Lauren opened was an entire anthology of genealogy. It was interesting mostly for the beautiful script. Other than that, it was simply a list of names on aged paper. The names listed were all under five families, and Lauren only read through the first three — Scafati, Zamora, and Finarvin — before she finally had to put it down and rub her eyes.

The second was far more interesting, and it read like a book of fables. There were multiple stories about sprites, minotaurs, and dragons (amongst other creatures). The stories were so vivid and provided so much detail that Lauren could almost believe they were real. They were even given dates, and there was also annotations about "The Light" and "The Dark" that Lauren found interesting. There was a mention about a war with Aife, and then the book abruptly stopped, as if there was nothing left.

Lauren frowned and pushed it away. She read the entire book cover to cover and was left with no resolution. She wanted to know what happened — why the story stopped — and why Tamsin would give her a book that wasn't finished. There was only one more, and it appeared to be even older and thicker than the first two. The doctor pulled it into her lap with her good hand and began to sift through the pages.

The first page simply read: _The Faeries_. As Lauren kept leafing through the pages, she discovered that it was an ancient encyclopedia of sorts with old, colored drawings and descriptions of mythical creatures. Some Lauren was already familiar with: the cyclops, the phoenix, and the werewolf to name a few. There were many that Lauren never even heard of, and some that were depicted much differently than Lauren imagined growing up. She was nearing the end, and she flipped to the second to last page.

_The succubus is a powerful female Fae that feeds from the sexual energy of her victims. Well known for her powers of persuasion, she is able to heal and gain strength from sexual energy. Succubi are also well known for their longevity, which is dependent on their feeding. Though less commonly observed, they have the ability to give their energy to heal others._

Lauren looked to the next page and gasped at the picture she saw. Her hand subconsciously went to cover her rapidly beating heart. She had seen that picture before. Not the illustration, of course. The real thing.

The bright, glowing blue eyes? The exaggerated female curves? That was almost a portrait of Bo.

Lauren quickly turned the page, hoping to read more about succubi. Instead, there was only a paragraph about "The Blood King." There was no picture of any monster on the opposite side, only a symbol. The pattern caught Lauren's eye immediately, and quickly tore off her bandages to expose the burned skin. She held her wrist next to the pattern and realized with a sinking feeling that it was the exact same one.

Was all of this actually real? Could that have been Tamsin's goal — to explain to Lauren without any words how the creatures in the fairy tales really existed? The brand on Lauren's skin could easily be explained away by a sick, perverted prank taken way too far. But Bo's eyes? Lauren was more than convinced now that she hadn't hallucinated them. And that meant more in the books had to also be correct.

There were too many thoughts in Lauren's mind for her to keep track of the time. She didn't know how long she sat on the hard floor before the door finally opened again, but she was decidedly less afraid now that she was armed with knowledge. She had no idea who these people were — or even _what_ they were — but knowing what she could be dealing with was an odd source of comfort in an otherwise distressing situation.

The body that came in this time wasn't Tamsin's slim figure. Lauren recognized him as the bearded man from earlier. He stood over her, looking down at her over the length of his nose.

"I just had an interesting read," Lauren said, emboldened by her discoveries. "So does that make you one of the three little pigs or the big bad wolf?"

A smirk came to his face, though it was difficult to tell in the low lighting. "I'm the biggest, baddest wolf around."

Lauren nodded. "So kind of a bully, and full of hot air. Good to know." Before he had a chance to retaliate, Lauren asked: "What is it that you want now?"

"I need you to come with me."

"What, no drugs this time?"

He pulled a set of metal handcuffs from his back pocket and dangled them in front of Lauren's face. She groaned at the sight of them. She wouldn't appreciate being handcuffed against her will on a regular day, but with her wrist being burned, it was going to hurt much, much worse.

Sure enough, when Lauren pulled herself upright and he slapped the cuffs on, she had to bite her lip to keep from screaming out. The bare metal cut hard into her injured skin, and the tears started flowing on their own.

"Yo, Dyson! Hurry up!" another voice echoed from outside.

He had a firm grip on the cuffs and pushed Lauren forward to get her walking. Once Lauren was out, she could see she was in some sort of storage facility. She must have been kept inside one of the individual units.

"Where are we going?" Lauren asked. She wasn't feeling as confident now that her hands were bound and she was being marched to an unfamiliar place.

"Negotiations," Dyson answered vaguely. "Now, keep moving."

* * *

Bo knew that going to the Dal Riata was going to be unpleasant. By now, most of the people there had heard about her close brush with death, and they were all eying her warily. But she was out of options.

"You have a lot of nerve continuing to show your face in here." Bo recognized the blood king's voice from behind the bar, and she involuntarily stiffened at the sound. The small man stepped out from behind the counter to confront her. Tough he was probably a good foot shorter than her, his presence was still intimidating.

"I can explain," Bo offered. She needed to not anger him if she wanted his cooperation.

He crossed his arms in front of his chest. "You'd better. I'd like to hear how you explain breaking into someone's private property and attacking them, or stealing property that doesn't belong to you right from the walls of this waystation."

"Kenzi isn't your property, Trick!" Bo's voice started to involuntarily raise.

"Like _hell_ she isn't!"

Bo was primed to turn this conversation into a shouting match, but one quick look around her told her that now wasn't the time. People were beginning to stare. The leader of the ancient ruling parties and one of the rulers of the current one were fighting in full view of the public. Bo didn't come here to win a pissing match with Trick though. She came to find out what he knew of Lauren's whereabouts. With that in mind, Bo forced down her retort, and took a deep, steadying breath.

"Look, there's not much either of us can do about her right now," Bo said as calmly as she could. "My mother has turned her, and Kenzi won't be leaving the compound unless someone pries her from her clutches — which I don't see happening anytime soon."

Trick scoffed. "You see what becomes of your damned arrogance?"

"I'm not here to argue with you about Kenzi. I think it's fair to say we have differing opinions, and we'll have to agree to disagree." Bo successfully kept her comments at bay when Trick rolled his eyes at her statement. "But I came here to ask about another human."

"I see." Trick narrowed his eyes at her. "Is this about your little doctor friend?"

"If you mean Lauren, then yes. This is about 'my little doctor friend.'"

"What about her?" he asked.

Bo stepped toward him and lowered her voice to just above a whisper. "If you took her because she helped me, then you overstepped the boundaries — and you know it. She doesn't know anything, and she's no risk to you at all."

"I wouldn't be so sure the doctor's as clueless as you think," Trick lowered his voice to match Bo's, and he gave her a knowing look. "And since when does the 'Great Isabeau' care about the welfare of human property anyway?"

"Some things have recently come to light in the past two days related to my mother that I have yet to explain. I believe she may have been plotting against me, I think Lauren could help me find out how it happened."

Whatever answer Trick had been expecting, it certainly wasn't that. Bo could tell that the possibility of a rift between Bo and Aife had him intrigued. Bo wasn't an idiot — she could tell that's why he was even considering Bo's offer at all. He stood to benefit if Lauren could help Bo find out how Aife betrayed her. Anything to weaken the opposition would be appealing to him, and that's the angle Bo had to play.

After a moment, Bo expected to be dismissed. She was ready to start her counterargument, but instead, Trick pulled out his phone and held it to his ear.

"Dyson," he said once the other side picked up. "I need you to bring the doctor to the Dal. I think its time we all sat down and had a nice little chat."

* * *

Author's notes: I love hearing when you are enjoying the story. There's obviously going to be more Bo/Lauren interaction going forward, so stay tuned. Thank you for all your follows/favorites/reviews — you guys make me smile. :)


	9. Blood Oath

Trick led Bo downstairs to his private study to wait for the others to arrive. There would be no official business conducted in the main bar, lest they be overheard by unknown enemies from either side, so the blood king offered his personal quarters for the occasion. Bo remembered vaguely the last time she was here: her mother had just conquered the Light Fae, and Bo came on her behalf to arrange the terms of official surrender. Under her mother's influence, it had been the most thrilling moment of her life.

It was interesting how life changed sometimes.

In the moments after Trick hung up his phone, Bo found herself waiting perched on the edge of her seat for the others to arrive. She hardly even noticed her feet bouncing on the old worn wooden planks below; there were just too many thoughts in her head to stop the involuntary movements.

Mostly, Bo needed to see for herself that Lauren was okay, especially after what happened with Kenzi. She also needed Lauren's help, but the overriding emotion Bo felt was guilt. If she hadn't foolishly gotten herself almost killed, if she hadn't made an enemy of the blood king — nobody would have taken her captive. Though Bo was livid with Trick for what he'd done, she couldn't help but direct some of those feelings toward herself as well. She was at least partially responsible for dragging the doctor into this mess, and she was determined to make it right by helping her now.

Bo stood bolt upright at the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. The first person she saw come in the dim study was the wolf, Dyson, and she couldn't help the scowl she sent his way. Based on the look he gave her, the dislike was mutual. But the moment he stepped out of the stairwell, the scowl fell away, and Bo's throat tightened.

It was Lauren.

Though she was wearing the same clothes as the last time Bo saw her at the hospital, she couldn't have looked any more different. The bright, shining eyes that Bo first noticed were tired, sunken, and red from crying. Her scrubs were dirty and wrinkled in ways that didn't suit her at all. Her long blonde hair, which Bo had been so taken with the last time she saw her, was limp and lifeless. This hardly even looked like the same woman Bo saw twenty four hours ago, and the thought of what might have happened to her during that time made Bo's blood boil. Tamsin came in behind her, and Bo saved another one of her evil looks for the blonde Fae that stabbed her in the stomach.

"Dyson, Tamsin… Please, sit down," Trick said, motioning to the chairs opposite Bo. They nodded and took up their seats, and Bo continued to glower at them in the ensuing silence.

Lauren was left standing awkwardly at the side by herself with her hands behind her back. She mostly stared at the floor, but she chanced a look up once, meeting Bo's eyes. Bo met her gaze, trying to convey everything in that one look, but Lauren looked back down abruptly, avoiding the eye contact.

Trick cleared his throat, breaking the silence and making Lauren jump. "Isabeau has approached me with a proposition," he announced, making the two other Fae turn their attention toward Bo. Their glares were almost accusing. "Before you say anything," Trick added, as if sensing the rising tension, "I believe both parties stand to benefit from this arrangement, or else I wouldn't have allowed us to discuss it."

"She just attacked not even a few nights ago!" Dyson argued, begging Trick to see his side. "She nearly killed us!"

"As I recall, I believe my brush with death was much closer than yours that night," Bo said. Dyson opened his mouth to retaliate, but Trick cut him off.

"That's enough! Both of you." His voice wasn't loud, but it was full of authority.

Though Bo might have been in charge of more territory elsewhere, inside the walls of the Dal Riata, Trick was still the one in command. Bo and Dyson begrudgingly fell silent, and the three warring Fae continued to glare at each other across the room.

"As I was saying," Trick continued after a moment, "Isabeau has informed me that there has been a shift over at Aife's camp."

Tamsin straightened in her chair. "How so?" she asked, speaking up for the first time.

Bo shook her head. "I don't know how she did it, but somehow, she was able to thrall me before the takeover," she explained. "I remember the battles — I remember everything — but I don't know when she did it."

"How convenient," Dyson sneered.

Bo ignored him. "The night that I… A couple of nights ago, when I was injured, I woke up, and the thrall was gone. I'm trying to figure out why, or even how it happened. I can't explain it."

"Which brings our discussion to the doctor," Trick finished. All eyes went to Lauren, and she was visibly uncomfortable under their scrutiny. Bo's stomach clenched seeing her so pained. She wanted to go to her, to do something — anything — to help, but she had to stay where she was. "Dr. Lewis, I trust that you read the material I had sent to you."

She nodded. "I did." Her voice was barely audible.

"And you recall treating Isabeau that night, is that correct?"

"Yes."

Trick nodded, and turned his attention back to the others. "Needless to say, Isabeau seems to believe that the doctor here could provide some assistance in discovering how she was able to overcome her mother's thrall. Am I correct in stating that it was done involuntarily and against your will?" he asked Bo.

"It was," Bo answered. Dyson rolled his eyes at her.

"And should you learn how the thrall came about, how do you plan on using that information?"

"I plan on freeing the others from her influence," Bo said, thinking of Kenzi. "If they chose to realign themselves to her, so be it. But I would give them the choice." She paused and passed a quick glance Lauren's way. "As for myself, once my work is done, I don't plan on serving her again."

The deprecating remark from Dyson didn't come this time, and Bo's declaration hung heavily in the air. It was what Trick had clearly been hoping for: an opportunity to divide the opposition. Bo's proposal allowed him to do just that, and if he had to give up one of his humans to do so, then so be it. As far as he was concerned, it was more than a fair trade.

Trick allowed the other Fae to mull the idea over for a few moments. He then cleared his throat and said: "The doctor is to remain in my custody, and I will allow you visitation on the premises at any time of your choosing —"

"Absolutely not," Bo cut him off, loudly enough to make him stop talking.

The blood king was clearly taken aback by the refusal, and his eyebrow raised high enough to wrinkle his forehead. "Excuse me?" he asked.

"She's not staying in your custody."

"There's no other —"

Bo interrupted him again. "You will send her back to her home. You'll let her live like an actual person. There's no reason for you to keep her under lock and key, and you know it."

Dyson scoffed at Bo's command. "And this coming from someone who just stole one of the blood king's humans a week ago? You'll have to forgive me if I don't believe you won't do it again."

"Believe whatever you want to believe, Dyson. You're clearly not going to listen to a word I have to say anyway. But just so you know…" Bo leaned forward, leering at him, "I didn't take Kenzi anywhere. She came with me voluntarily — because she wanted to."

"That still doesn't change the fact that you took something that doesn't belong to you," Dyson retorted.

"I know this might be hard for you to understand on account of the dog breath, but pissing on something doesn't exactly make it yours."

"Enough!" Trick yelled. It was much more forceful than the first time he had to intervene between the two of them, and his voice echoed in the wooden chamber. Dyson and Bo reluctantly backed down, though they still stared at each other angrily from their seats. "Now, I am amenable to that arrangement, provided it is sealed with a blood oath. Are you willing to accept, Isabeau?"

"Yes," she said, still giving Dyson the evil eye.

"Very well. So our side must come to an agreement then. I know my opinion, and I think we're all aware of Dyson's," Trick said. "That only leaves you, Tamsin."

Everyone's attention turned to the blonde Fae, who had stayed mostly silent during the exchange. Even Lauren looked up for the first time in a while to see her reaction.

It was mostly unreadable. Bo didn't know anything about the woman, other than her name and that she was the one that stabbed Bo the other night. She didn't wear her emotions on her sleeve like Dyson did, and Bo had no idea how she felt about anything that was said today. But apparently, by simple majority, the vote would come down to her.

Nothing flickered behind her green eyes as she looked appraisingly back and forth between Bo and Lauren. As the silence drew out longer, Bo suspected she would refuse, but to her surprise — and her delight, she didn't.

"As long as someone keeps a close watch on them, I don't see any problem with it," the blonde Fae shrugged. "She'll obviously need to be mindful of the rules in the meantime." Dyson looked like someone just kicked him in the stomach (which made Bo a happy woman), and Trick seemed unsurprised by Tamsin's words.

The blood king stood suddenly and shuffled over to his desk, removing an old, leather bound volume from the shelf behind it and a leather pouch. He opened the book to first blank page and handed it to Bo.

Bo heard stories about the blood king's magic. The most legendary power he owned was his ability to write the future. Anything he wrote, big or small, came to pass. It was a tremendous amount of power for any one person to possess, but its unintended effects — mostly death and destruction — were well documented throughout history. As far as she knew, Trick hadn't used that particular ability in well over two hundred years.

One of his other abilities, one that was less fabled, was his ability to administer the true blood oath. The official oath was rarely given anymore, as it had to be performed through Trick. But its effects were so feared throughout history that it became a constantly referenced term. Most times when Fae gave their blood oath now, it was seen as merely a promise. There were no consequences for breaking it, other than the personal loss of honor that came with the lie. If a Fae were to ever break a _true_ blood oath to the blood king, however, their abilities would instantly be taken from them — their "Fae blood" in essence, removed. It was as serious a promise as anyone could ever make.

The book in Bo's lap held centuries of oaths. Some of the people undoubtedly had their Fae essence removed for failure to comply, and though Bo had no intent to go back on her word, the threat hung over her head like a razor sharp guillotine. Trick pulled out a tiny dagger from the leather pouch and handed it to Bo.

"Do you, Isabeau Dennis, swear to uphold the terms of our agreement on your blood honor?" he asked. The power rang through his voice, and Bo felt a chill in the room.

"I swear it," Bo said.

"Then place your blood in the book," he instructed.

Bo glanced down at the dagger in her hand. If she broke her skin, it would be her first official act of betrayal against her mother. There was no way she could go back and change her mind once she made the cut. Her hands hung in midair while she thought, and she took one last look at Lauren, who had an unreadable expression on her face. She thought about what happened to Lauren, and what happened to Kenzi, and she found her resolve.

Bo would find a way to bring all of it to a stop.

With a quick and steady motion, she dug the knife's tip deep into her right palm, easily drawing a steady flow of blood. She pressed her entire bloodied palm against the blank page and held it there. The others stayed silent, all of them watching Bo with interest.

The pages started to grow warm, far too warm. They continued to heat up until Bo's hand burned from the contact, and she pulled her hand away with a hiss. Her hand print was still clearly visible, but it sunk into the page moments later, only to be rearranged in scripted handwriting across the entire page.

Bo watched with her eyes wide, mesmerized at what she just witnessed. There, written in her own blood, was her entire oath. But that's not what shocked Bo the most — it was the name written across the top: _Isabeau McCorrigan of the Royal Clan Finarvin_.

If Bo was shocked, Trick appeared as if he'd seen a ghost. He was as pale as a sheet and looked as if a strong gust of wind could have toppled him over.

Bo shook her head, rereading the words again for the third time. "How… That's not even my—"

Bo's voice apparently snapped Trick out of his stupor, and he reached forward to snatch the book from her lap. The heavy pages came together with a loud snap, and he fastened the clasp quickly, returning the book to its place before Bo had a chance to finish her sentence.

"If that's all, I think we're done here. Dyson, Tamsin, I believe you have work to do," Trick said. "And Bo, you may escort the doctor back to her home. Just know that I will have lookouts present at all times in case you get the urge to renege on your oath." There was an uncomfortable edge to his voice, and everyone in the room picked up on it.

Dyson and Tamsin left as soon as they were dismissed, sensing Trick's discomfort, though it didn't stop the wolf from sending one more disparaging look Bo's way as he ascended the stairwell. Once she heard the door click shut, Bo turned to face Lauren.

"You'll be needing this," Trick said from behind her. Bo turned around to face him, and he was holding a set of keys in the air between them. They were too small to be house keys or car keys, and Bo glanced at him curiously before turning back to Lauren.

She put two and two together when she realized the doctor's hands stayed behind her back the entire time she stood there. Without intending it, her eyes flickered blue for a fraction of a second before she reached forward and ripped the keys from his hand.

"Thanks," Bo muttered, but there was not even a hint of gratitude in her voice. Trick at least had the decency to look ashamed of himself, and he stepped away quickly into the next room.

Bo watched Lauren cautiously as she approached. With everything that happened to her in the past couple of days, Bo assumed she would be terrified, and she didn't want to frighten her at all. The doctor's face was a perfect mask of stoicism, however, and Bo couldn't tell what she was feeling at all, if anything. She wouldn't even look up, continuing to look determinedly at the old wood floor.

"I'm going to undo your cuffs, okay?" Bo asked gently.

Lauren's voice came out in a whisper just loud enough for Bo to hear. "Okay."

The succubus stepped around behind her, and for the first time, she noticed the bandage on her wrist. It was in the same spot as Kenzi's brand, and she felt her anger piquing even more. She squashed down the emotion though, sensing that now wasn't the appropriate time for anger. She unlocked the cuffs and opened them as gently as she could. Lauren's arms finally fell free to her side.

Bo just wished she knew what to say to help her. With Kenzi, it had been easier. The young girl had been more forthcoming, but then again, she'd also had months to adjust to the horrors of living as a slave to the Fae. For Lauren, the wounds were fresh. It was the shock of finding out about a world she never knew existed and the emotional trauma of being kidnapped and held against her will. Bo didn't want to even entertain the idea that she'd been abused in any way other than the brand on her arm, but it was certainly a possibility. She didn't feel particularly qualified to be helping anyone through such hard times, but she would try her best anyway.

"Is that better?" Bo asked.

Lauren nodded, but her voice was still frail. "Yes, thank you."

"Come on," Bo said, "Let me take you home."

With Lauren's permission, Bo led her out of the bar and out to her car. When she opened the door for the blonde, Bo was suddenly ashamed that she hadn't cleaned her car out for a while, but Lauren didn't mention anything about it as she stepped inside.

The entire ride back was completely silent. Lauren mostly stared out her window, and Bo spent every free moment watching her from the corners of her eyes. She couldn't tell if Lauren was upset, sad, angry — or perhaps some combination of the three — and it was maddening as well as heartbreaking. This woman had saved Bo from an almost certain death, and this is how she got repaid for it. The thought burned like acid in Bo's stomach.

Bo never mentioned how she knew the way to Lauren's apartment, and Lauren never asked. But the doctor didn't even look surprised when Bo pulled up at her apartment.

"We're here," Bo said unnecessarily. Lauren didn't give much of an acknowledgment, but it was enough, so Bo got out and came around to the passenger's side to help her. Bo was about to lead her toward the stairs, but the blonde pulled against her, heading the opposite way. "Lauren?"

"Just a moment."

Lauren entered through one of the glass doors on the side, leaving Bo in the entryway by herself. She couldn't help but feel a little foolish until Lauren returned with a stack of envelopes in her hand.

"For your neighbor?" Bo asked, remembering the old woman living next door.

"How do you know about that?" Lauren asked, frowning.

"I came here looking for you, and she came outside to beat me with a baseball bat."

"That sounds like Helga." Lauren gave a slight chuckle, and it was music to Bo's ears, though it only lasted a second.

"She seems nice," Bo said, leading Lauren up the stairs.

"Hmm." Lauren allowed Bo to lead her to the top floor, and the succubus waited for her to slide the envelopes under the old woman's door one by one. "Underneath the mat." Lauren pointed to the ground.

Bo reached down to the ground and fished underneath the mat, and her fingers closed around the key, pulling it out. They stepped inside, and Bo gasped at the interior.

Lauren's apartment was incredible. It was like a vision from a design magazine, with all the sleekest furniture and decor, and the whole place just screamed upscale. Bo lived at the old Light Fae compound now, and though it was richly decorated, it didn't have quite the same artistic appeal as Lauren's place.

"I have some cleaning supplies upstairs," Lauren said and held up her bandaged hand, breaking the silence. "Do you think you could help me with this?"

"Yes, of course."

Bo followed Lauren upstairs and went in the first room on the right. Bo's heart started beating faster when she saw that it was Lauren's bedroom, but Lauren continued through to the bathroom beyond it.

Without saying anything, Lauren pulled out a first aid kit and sat it down on the tubs edge before sitting down herself. She eyed Bo's bloody hand, and an instant look of concern came to her face, replacing the detached one.

"Bo your hand," she gasped.

Bo glanced down at her right hand. It ached a little, but the bleeding had stopped for the most part. The worst looking part was all the dried blood around it, which made the injury appear worse than it really was.

"Oh this?" she chuckled. "I've had much worse, believe me."

Lauren flinched at the reminder of Bo's nearly fatal injury, and the succubus realized that now was definitely the wrong time to be making such a joke. She internally cursed her own stupidity.

"I didn't mean it like that," Bo whispered. "Sorry."

"It's fine, Bo." Lauren reached out to take Bo's hand and pulled it into her lap. "Here, let me."

Bo didn't bother telling her that it wasn't really necessary. Having something to take care of seemed to help Lauren in a way, and Bo would gladly endure any amount of burning, stinging liquids poured over her hands if it would help her now. Lauren had her hand cleaned up neatly in several minutes, and short of the bandage across the center of her palm, Bo could hardly tell there was anything wrong with it.

"Thank you," Bo said. "Now give me yours."

Lauren held out her arm, and Bo slowly unwrapped the gauze from around her wrist. It fell away slowly, but as it got closer to the skin, Bo could see Lauren wincing from the corner of her eyes. She tried to be more gentle with it, but there was not much Bo was able to do about the pain. When the past of the dressings fell away, Bo's jaw clenched in response.

She'd been expecting to see a brand mark. So the presence of one wasn't entirely shocking. But for some reason the idea of the process behind it, literally burning someone's skin off and letting it regrow around it, didn't register with her. She wasn't ready to see the blood or the angry red skin that went with it. It looked painful, and the most horrible thing about the injury was the reasoning behind it.

"Oh my god, Lauren," Bo breathed out. "I'm so sorry." She allowed her fingers to caress the edges of the inflamed skin, not knowing if it hurt or not, but feeling the need to try and soothe the hurt somehow.

Something about Bo's actions made Lauren finally snap. The carefully constructed wall she'd kept up over the past few hours came crashing down, and the stoic facade went with it. Lauren's eyes squeezed shut, and the tears started flowing quickly and with no signs of slowing down. Bo was alarmed by the sudden shift, and she reached out to place her hand on Lauren's shoulder.

At Lauren's first sob, Bo pushed away the medical kit between them and pulled the doctor into her embrace. Lauren simply held on for dear life while Bo rubbed her back, and the succubus kept whispering soothing words into her ear — though they helped little with the sobs wracking through Lauren's chest. Sometimes, life's worst experiences were just too much to deal with rationally. And on those occasions, all there was left to do was cry. Bo supposed that's where Lauren was at now, and she was determined to hold her there as long as she needed her to.

It might have been close to an hour that Bo sat on the edge of the tub with Lauren. She wasn't checking the clock, and there was no real reference for time. But slowly, the shaking slowed down and was replaced by sniffles, and then later, the even steady sound of breathing. Eventually, Lauren was the one to pull away.

"I'm sorry about that," she whispered.

"Hey," Bo said, turning so that she could look into Lauren's eyes. "You have _nothing_ to be sorry about."

"I didn't mean for you to see that."

"I'm just glad I was able to be here for you before I left."

The silence came back, neither one of them knowing quite what to say. Eventually, Bo felt like she was intruding, and she stood up to give Lauren some privacy.

"I'm gonna go," Bo said. "Give you some time to yourself finally. I'll let you know before I head over again." She turned to leave the bathroom, but was stopped when Lauren's good hand closed around her wrist.

"Could you stay? Please?" Lauren asked. There was such vulnerability in her voice that it made Bo want to pull her into a deep hug again. "They're out there watching, and I can't help but feel like…" Lauren trailed off and shook her head, as if imagining some horrible scenario where the rebel Fae stormed the place.

"I can sleep on the couch, if it would make you feel better," Bo offered.

"Would you?"

"Of course," Bo smiled. Without thinking, she leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on Lauren's forehead. "Good night, Lauren."

"Good night, Bo."


	10. As Long as it Takes

Bo was rarely ever woken up by anything pleasant. Most times it was a guard running into her room to inform her of some urgent development with the rebels — an attack or a movement that needed her attention immediately.

She nearly forgot where she was when her eyes fluttered open; the room was much brighter than the one she was accustomed to sleeping in. There was an unmistakable aroma of pancakes and bacon, however, and that was something Bo had never woken up to before. She pressed herself upright with her elbows, and as her sleepy haze cleared, the events from the previous night returned to her in full force.

"Bo, I made breakfast," a familiar voice called out from the next room.

Bo twisted her body on the beige leather couch to find its source, and successfully located it in the adjoining kitchen. Bo could see clearly into the kitchen over the counter tops and spotted Lauren standing behind the stove in her pajamas. Without really thinking about it, she pushed herself to her feet and joined her. Bo's mouth started watering as the smell only became stronger in the kitchen, and she looked up at the blonde to find her already staring. Lauren looked quickly away, having been caught, and returned her focus to the pan in front of her.

"I had no idea if you liked pancakes or not," she said quickly, trying to recover from being caught looking. Bo only noticed her blush a fraction of a second before she hid her face. "But I didn't really have enough eggs to scramble, and statistically speaking I think most people tend to prefer the high carbohydrate content of pancakes with their protein because carbs stimulate the ventral tegmentum to release dopamine into the nucleus accumbens, and —"

"Lauren," Bo grinned, enjoying her scientific tangent despite the fact that she didn't understand a word of it. The doctor's rant ceased, and she finally glanced up again at the succubus. "Good morning."

"Good morning," Lauren breathed out. "Sorry, sometimes I just get a little carried away with the geek speak."

"To be honest, I kinda liked it."

Lauren's blush came back again, and this time she wasn't able to hide it before Bo noticed. Bo just grinned back at her even more. Her aura was doing an even more interesting number than the blush on her cheeks, and the blonde had no idea that Bo was seeing it as clear as day.

Somehow, Lauren managed to put back on a serious face and turned her attention back to the pan in front of her. Bo missed seeing the reddened, flushed cheeks, but she watched intently as Lauren reached with the spatula and flipped the pancakes onto a clean plate. There were already a couple of strips of bacon on it, so she picked it up and handed it to Bo.

But something about the action tweaked her wrist the wrong way, however, and though Lauren tried to hide it, Bo didn't miss the way she winced slightly when she held the plate out. Bo frowned as she took it, and watched as she did the same thing with her own.

"Lauren, please… just stop for a minute," Bo said, shaking her head.

Lauren turned the dials to the stove off and looked at Bo with a confused expression. "Stop what?"

Bo gently took her plate from her and set the two of them off to the side. She pointed to the bandage on Lauren's wrist. "Please, let me take care of that for you. It's the least I can do."

"Take care of it how? I already cleaned it last night." Lauren glanced down to the bandage.

"I can heal it for you, if you want. It won't take the scar away because of the kind of brand they used," Bo cringed as she said the word, as did Lauren, "but it will help the skin around it."

Lauren appeared deeply uncomfortable as she considered the offer. She was only on her second day of even knowing about the Fae's existence, and when Bo mentioned it again, the reality of it obviously came rushing back against her wishes. Her breath faltered, and she had to look down and away from Bo. The succubus instantly wanted to kick herself for bringing it up, but at the same time she didn't want to see Lauren suffer needlessly. In a week, Lauren _might_ have been ready to face what she learned. Right now her mind hadn't had the opportunity to properly deal with it. Bo was torn between wanting to take the offer back or not, thinking that it might have spared Lauren some distress.

"Will it hurt?" Lauren whispered, looking uneasy.

Bo shook her head. "No. It won't hurt at all, I promise."

Lauren grew quiet for several long moments. Something was going on in that brain of hers, Bo was certain. But she could only read auras, not minds, and Bo prepared herself to be turned down each second the silence dragged on. But Lauren surprised her again.

"Okay," the blonde whispered and nodded.

Bo stepped forward into her space slowly. "Do you know what kind of Fae I am?" she asked. They were close before, but Bo now had them within inches of standing toe to toe with one another.

Lauren's breath came more quickly than it did a minute ago, and her aura was growing steadily more bright. "A… succubus…" she breathed out.

Bo nodded. "Good. Now, I need you to close your eyes."

Lauren did exactly as she asked and grew completely still. Bo slowly closed the remaining distance between them, and after pausing a moment longer, she reached up with her hands to place them gently on either side of Lauren's face. A sudden jolt and rush of heat rolled through her body as her eyes flashed blue.

"Wha—"

Lauren's partial word was cut off as Bo pressed their lips gently together. And for the first time in nearly a decade, Bo began to reverse the flow of her chi. Instead of taking, as she was so accustomed to doing, she pushed it back away from herself. The other woman's aura was now intoxicating, and Bo found herself basking in it while their lips were together. Bo's hands kept Lauren's face firmly in place, but she noticed that the doctor's hands were starting to migrate around her waist and were slowly sliding up her back. Bo broke the connection and pulled away, and both of them were breathing much faster then they had been a moment ago.

"I just… wow…" Lauren gasped. She blinked several times after her eyes fluttered open.

"Yeah," Bo agreed, still feeling the effects herself. She let her hands fall from Lauren's face and back to her side, and the doctor seemed to realize where her own hands wandered off to as well because she pulled them back to herself quickly. "Let me see." Bo reached for Lauren's wrist.

The fresh wound looked months old now, Bo noted. It was almost just like Kenzi's. Just as she suspected, the brand itself was enchanted and wouldn't let Fae magic undo its effects, but Bo was able to heal the angry looking skin around it. Now all that was left were the ridges of scar in the blood king's pattern. Lauren seemed fascinated by what Bo had just done and was examining the old wound with a more thorough eye.

"I have sever seen anything like it," Lauren whispered. "That was incredible."

"You weren't so bad yourself, you know."

Lauren blushed deeply and smiled at Bo's compliment but had to look down to hide her embarrassment. She recovered her composure moments later and looked back up to meet Bo's eyes. "Thank you," Lauren said with absolute seriousness. Bo knew she was talking about more than the compliment she just paid her.

"Anytime. Now you can just pay me back by eating breakfast." Bo grabbed the plates she set off to the side earlier and handed one to Lauren, who led them to the table.

Bo couldn't help but scarf down her own pancakes. It had been a long, long time since she had breakfast cooked for her, and combined with the stress of the past few days, the meal was also cathartic. Lauren simply watched the succubus in amusement as she finished the plate in five minutes. The doctor did eventually eat all of hers as well, but she paid more close attention to her manners and was more dainty than Bo had been. The result was that Bo was eventually left with an empty plate watching Lauren closely.

"What time do you need to be at work?" Bo asked.

Lauren finished her last bite and pushed her plate away. "I called the hospital this morning — figured it was an opportune time to take advantage of the leave time I've accumulated."

"So you don't have to go?" Bo perked up instantly at the news.

Lauren shook her head. "No, I don't. I guess that's one of the advantages of volunteering to take call every weekend for the past couple of years. I've compiled quite a bit of paid time off. With everything in the past couple of days…" she shook her head, her expression somber. "I think I need to step away from it for a little while — get my head right again."

"I'm sorry."

The blonde frowned. "I really don't know what you're apologizing for, Bo."

"If it hadn't been for me, you wouldn't have been dragged into this mess. Nobody would have gone after you. I'm just now realizing that I've done some messed up things over the past few months, and because of that, I've maid you a target."

"Bo, I'm going to tell you something, and I want you to really listen to what I'm saying," Lauren spoke slowly and clearly, enunciating every syllable. She threaded her hands together in front of her, seeming to choose her words carefully. "What you did to get hurt may or may not have been your fault — I don't know. But after that, the fact that those people went after me? That isn't. You can't apologize and take the blame for other people's actions."

"But if I wasn't there, none of it would have happened."

Lauren shook her head. "No it would have still happened. It would have just happened to someone else."

Bo couldn't meet Lauren's eyes any longer; she had too look down at the table. The understanding look she was getting was too much, and Bo still didn't feel as if she deserved it. Now that her mother wasn't influencing her, she had perspective that she didn't previously, and it was difficult not to see herself as something bad, something dangerous.

Lauren continued, but her voice started to shake almost imperceptibly: "I'm not going to pretend as if I'm not upset by the situation, or that it doesn't hurt in ways that I've never experienced before, Bo. But you being here? Doing what you've done? Those aren't the actions of someone that's to blame for all of this. If you really want to blame someone, I'd perhaps start with whoever put this here." She held up her newly healed wrist to show Bo her mark.

Something about the visual made the message click better for Bo than words did. The sick feeling of guilt she'd been carrying ever since she'd learned Lauren was taken was replaced by a steady anger — both at Trick for putting the mark there in the first place, and at her mother for her deception. The burden wasn't entirely gone from Bo's shoulder's, but she was able to steer some of those feelings in more appropriate directions.

"So you'll help me?" Bo asked.

Lauren nodded. "I don't feel as if I know enough yet, but I'll do the best I can. Just let me know what you need."

"I need to go grab some things at the compound. Is it okay if I come back later?"

"Of course," Lauren said. "Do what you need to, and I'll be here whenever you're ready."

* * *

Bo still had to keep up her appearances with her mother, as she didn't know about Bo's recent negotiations with Trick. She found it difficult to keep a calm demeanor with her mother present, especially when she saw Kenzi mindlessly waiting on her hand and foot. Aife even had the poor girl dressed in the most ridiculous outfits, which Kenzi would no doubt be ashamed of if she were in control of her own faculties. It was a challenge, but Bo managed to hide the fact that her mother was no longer in control of her. All she had to do was nod and be overly supplicant to her requests, and nothing seemed amiss.

When she was done with visiting her mother, Bo snuck into the old Light Fae archives to gather information. She must have grabbed at least twenty books from the shelves and shoved them in her oversized bag. It felt like she was toting a bag of bricks, but Bo just hoped they were as relevant as they appeared on the surface. She picked several volumes on blood magic, and one detailed encyclopedia all about succubi and incubi (mostly for Lauren's benefit), along with several other books about curses, spells, and different types of Fae. It was a comprehensive collection, but Bo didn't feel as if they would be missed at all. After all, she could count on one hand the number of times she'd even stepped foot inside the archives and didn't need any of her fingers to count the number of times she'd actually read any of the items on the shelf.

A shower and change of clothes was also in order, and it was early afternoon by the time she arrived back at Lauren's apartment. When the door swung open, the doctor frowned at the huge bag Bo had slung over her shoulder.

"Am I missing something?" Lauren asked.

"I — uh — _borrowed_ some books from the archives." Bo shrugged off the bag as soon as she got inside because the strap was cutting into her shoulder. "I thought they might help. I'm not even going to pretend like I know everything, but I figured between the two of us, we might find something that helps."

"Between all of those, I certainly hope so," Lauren chuckled. "Let's bring them inside."

Bo struggled to pull the heavy bag into the living room without knocking any lamps or tables over, but she managed it. Lauren was already making herself comfortable on the couch, and Bo noticed that the pillows and throw blanket were rearranged since she slept on it the night before. She reached down and grabbed one old book in each hand.

"Would you like…" Bo paused and read each cover, "_The Annals of Enchantment_ or _Blood Magick_?" She jutted her hip out to the side and posed with each one. Bo didn't miss the way that Lauren licked her lips when she did so.

"You mean you don't have one called _The Fae for Dummies_?"

Bo dropped the books to her side. "You're not a dummy."

"I'm merely pointing out that my knowledge of your kind is rudimentary at best. All that I know I learned from a few books while I was locked up in a warehouse, so I'd say the learning environment was not optimal."

Bo's shoulders fell at the reminder. "Where do we even start then?"

Lauren patted the seat next to her on the couch, gesturing for Bo to join her. "Why don't you start at the beginning by telling me what happened with your mother up to the point where you were stabbed and left in an abandoned alley?"

"It's a long story."

"I've got time," Lauren grinned, and Bo knew she couldn't resist after that point.

She crawled over to the couch and tucked her leg up underneath her, making herself comfortable before she began to speak. She told Lauren the entire story: why she stayed unaligned, what initially brought about the alliance with her mother, the battles they won (though Bo spared her the gory details), everything up until her fateful night at the rebel's headquarters. She even told Lauren all about Kenzi, about the changes she noticed after the injury. Lauren stayed quiet and listened intently as Bo spoke, taking in every single word.

"So this ability that you and your mother have… the 'thrall'…" Lauren said after Bo finished with her long explanation, "am I correct in assuming that it isn't a trait that usually associated with succubi?"

Bo nodded. "As far as I know, we're the only ones that have it. Why?"

"That's what I'm wondering about: _why_?" Lauren frowned and ran her free hand through her hair. "Everything that I understand so far points to simple Mendelian inheritance when it comes to each Fae's particular abilities. There could be some variable expression, but there aren't exactly sporadic shifts in genome from one generation to the next."

"In English please, Einstein?" Bo chuckled.

"If a sprite and a kelpie had a child, it couldn't possibly be a succubus. It might be a sprite with some kelpie traits from crossing over, or the other way around, but it wouldn't be like _you_ at all."

"And?"

"With that in mind, where did your ability to thrall with your blood come from?" Lauren asked.

"I — I don't know." Bo blinked. "My mother never said anything about it."

Lauren shifted on the couch to turn her entire body towards the succubus. "I'd be willing to bet that if you found out where that ability came from, you could learn more about it — both how to use it, and how to fight it."

"So how did I 'fight' it when I got stabbed? I was under my mom's thrall before, but when I woke up in the hospital, I'm pretty sure it was gone. I know she didn't unbind me and there was no way I was strong enough to fight it on my own."

Lauren narrowed her eyes and was obviously piecing something together in her head. Bo didn't interrupt her, mostly because she wanted her input but also because she liked watching the way her nose scrunched up when she was confused about something.

"I may have a theory," Lauren announced after several long moments. Bo simply waited for her to continue; this is what she was initially hoping Lauren could provide. "This thrall, it happens when her blood has literally bonded to yours if I'm not mistaken. But Bo that night you were stabbed… I literally had to replace more blood volume than you had in your body to begin with."

"How would that affect it?" Bo asked.

"All of _your_ blood was gone. The normal body only has about ten to twelve units total, and I ended up transfusing fourteen plus a ton of fluids," Lauren explained. "Most people would have gotten acidotic and gone into cardiac arrest after about three or four, but you hung in there, so we kept giving them to you."

Bo hadn't realized for herself just how bad things really were that night. Kenzi had simply said later that Bo was lucky to be alive, but she never heard the details before now. It was an odd time to be dealing with a near-death experience, several days after being completely recovered. Bo had to take a deep steadying breath to clear her head before she asked in a small voice: "Are you saying that the reason my mother's thrall broke was because I completely bled out?"

"That's my theory, at least," Lauren answered. "And for the record, I don't think you'd be able to thrall anyone for at least a couple of weeks until your body started replenishing your own blood cells again."

"Well shit."

"Sorry…"

It wasn't as if Bo actually planned on thralling anyone anytime soon, but the sudden absence of a power she previously had left her feeling vulnerable, especially now that she was unofficially an enemy of her own mother. It placed them on an unlevel playing field, and it made Bo anxious.

"Don't be sorry," Bo shook her head. "You just figured out how I was able to break the thrall. That's huge." Bo actually managed to give her a smile.

"I just wish I could tell you something more about it. I don't have even a working theory for how it works, and so I don't know how you could counteract it."

"Well, lucky for me, we have time then, right?" Bo grinned.

Lauren returned the smile. "We have as long as it takes."

* * *

The last used page in the book of oaths was still making Trick's head spin. The book was enchanted so that it never lied, but there was no way it could have been correct.

Trick's late wife had been a succubus, he remembered fondly — _Ysabeau_. While the fact that Bo Dennis shared his wife's first name was an unusual coincidence, it wasn't entirely unheard of for members of the same Fae species to recycle the names of their most powerful members. Back when there was an entire clan of Naga, at least ten percent of them had names that were some variation of _Lachlan_. And Ysabeau had been the queen of the Fae once upon a time, so there were surely many succubi that would use the name to pay homage to one of their most prominent figures.

When the surename had surfaced, however, Trick nearly hit the floor.

He hadn't used the name McCorrigan in centuries, not since he stepped down from the throne. When he retired to the Dal Riata, he left all traces of royalty behind him, including his title. He went by Trick instead of Fitzpatrick, and he retired the use of his last name entirely. Some of the more prominent Fae, such as Bo, were aware that he was the blood king, but many of them didn't know his real name.

Bo also seemed shocked at the name that appeared on the page in her own blood. When the war started and Bo started wreaking havoc on the Light and the Dark, he was pressed to learn everything he could about her. He'd paid off several moles for information, and based on his sources, he'd learned that Bo grew up with humans for much of her early childhood. She met Aife for the first time just before she was set to declare her side, and as a result, Bo defaulted. Trick had no doubt it was Aife's influence that affected Bo's choice, but after that, the older succubus disappeared for about a decade. When she returned, she was able to persuade Bo to her side, and after that, the entire Fae structure collapsed on itself.

The oddest thing was that Trick wasn't aware that he had any children. Shortly after he wrote the peace and created the two factions, his wife disappeared. It believed to be a kidnapping at the time, and her body was recovered two years later. Trick's anger started to rise as he remembered the incident. She had been gone for nearly four hundred years, and the wounds still stung just as sharply as they did the day it happened.

The McCorrigan name, while not uncommon in human circles, wasn't very widespread amongst the Fae. And by declaring Bo as a member of the Finarvin clan, the book all but spelled out that she was a member of Trick's clan. The blood king knew what he needed to do to confirm it, but the idea of it made him physically ill. There was a tentative knock on his study door.

"Come in," Tricked called out from behind his desk. The door clicked and eased open, and the visitor stepped inside.

"You called, Trick?"

"Yes, Hale," Trick said, folding his hands together on his desk in front of him. "I need you to retrieve the doctor for me. I have an assignment for her that is urgent."

The siren frowned, noting how distressed he looked. "Is there something wrong? What is it, sir?"

Trick rubbed his temples with his fingertips and closed his eyes. "I will explain later. Right now, I need you to go get the doctor. Tell her that I need her to perform an autopsy."


	11. Trickery

Bo and Lauren grew silent at the unexpected knock on the door. Lauren obviously wasn't expecting anyone over, and she approached the door slowly to greet their visitor. It was Hale.

"Dr. Lewis, I need you to come with me," he said without preamble.

Bo stood bolt upright from her place on the couch with an indignant look. "We're a little busy here."

Hale didn't take well to the dismissal, and he looked primed to start an argument, but Lauren cut the potential altercation short. "It's fine Bo," she placated before turning back to Hale. "What is it that you need?"

"It's the order of the blood king. There will be no further discussion on the matter." His lips pressed into a thin line. He either knew what the summons was about and refused to tell, or he had simply tasked with the duty to retrieve the doctor — Lauren couldn't tell which — but she knew she wasn't going to get anything else from him. She chanced a quick glance back at the succubus, who was looking absolutely murderous.

"Very well," Lauren told him. She tried to soothe Bo by acting as if the request didn't bother her. "Bo… I don't know when I'll be back, but you're more than welcome to stay here if you want."

Bo simply nodded, but she was still wound up just as tightly as she was before. Lauren had to applaud her effort to relax her face into a non-threatening expression though; it nearly worked.

The doctor didn't feel nearly as comfortable in Hale's presence as she did in Bo's. It certainly wasn't as bad as with Dyson, but there was still a palpable sense of mistrust between the two. Lauren recognized him as one of the three who took her from the hospital grounds, and since then, they had zero interaction. She didn't know what to make of him just yet.

"What am I being summoned for?" she asked again once they reached his car, figuring that if he was withholding because Bo was there, he would surely tell her now. She fastened her seatbelt while he started the car.

"You'll learn soon enough."

_Apparently not_, Lauren thought.

The rest of the drive occurred in absolute silence. Neither of them even attempted small talk, and Lauren spent most of the ride staring out the window at the familiar buildings. Despite looking exactly as they had for the past several years, they seemed different somehow, and Lauren suspected that it was what she learned over the past few days that altered her perception of things. Knowing that any one of these buildings could have Fae in them and that the people inside would be none the wiser was an odd idea to contemplate now. Soon they reached the old familiar bar that the doctor had come to associated with the blood king, and Hale led her inside once again, this time without handcuffs, thankfully.

"Dr. Lewis, thank you for coming," Trick said from behind his old desk, as if she had a choice in the matter. Lauren gave him a curt nod, and he dismissed Hale with a wave of his hand. "I have an assignment for you."

"Sir?"

"Did Hale not tell you?" Trick appeared deeply uncomfortable and busied himself with the papers on his desk, avoiding eye contact. "I would like for you to perform an autopsy."

Whatever answer Lauren had been expecting, it certainly wasn't that, and she grew silent for several moments. "Who is it?" she eventually asked.

Trick shook his head. "The 'who' is not so much important as the 'how.'"

"Can you at least tell me the indication?"

"It was a murder," he said with a pained expression on his face. "The original killer was identified — or so we thought, but certain things have come to light that have made me question the validity of those findings."

"When was it?"

"Almost four hundred years ago," he said softly.

Lauren nearly choked on her own breath. She'd seen autopsies done before, even did a few herself when she was training, but she'd never done them on remains that old before. After a certain point, the decay became too great to elucidate much from visceral injuries, and four hundred years was well beyond that point.

"I'm not sure how much I would be able to tell you with a body that old," Lauren shook her head. "There wouldn't be much soft tissue left to work with and —"

"Her remains are under the care of a necromancer," Trick interrupted, busying himself with the papers on his desk again. "I assure you, she looks much the same as she did on the day she passed."

There was only one reason someone would take so much care to preserve the appearance of the deceased. Modern preservation techniques were not around four hundred years ago, and Lauren could only imagine that Trick paid a hefty price to have her body preserved supernaturally. He appeared deeply upset about providing details surrounding the case, and Lauren could tell that there was a degree of personal involvement for him.

"You loved her, didn't you?" she whispered.

"That is none of your concern," Trick said in a clipped tone.

"Actually, it is. Love makes people irrational, and I need to know that this isn't going to start some wild vendetta."

Trick glanced up, and his eyes were suddenly much darker than before. "You will do as you are told," he gritted through his clenched teeth. "Or need I remind you of who you serve now?" His eyes flickered down to the symbol on her wrist. Despite his small stature, he exuded power, and a cold chill fell in the room.

Lauren subconsciously hid the mark behind her back and directed her eyes to the floor. "Of course. I'm sorry," she said, her voice diminutive.

"You will go. Now," he clarified. "Hale is waiting for you upstairs and will take you. You are not to return until you have finished your examination. Is that understood?"

"Yes."

"Then go."

* * *

It was obvious that Trick already arranged to have the body in question moved. Hale arrived at the abandoned chemical plant by the outskirts of town about thirty minutes later. It used to be Behren Chemicals, Lauren remembered, but it was no longer. The company used to contract with the hospital a few years back to remove biohazadous material, but the hospital was forced to select a new venue when the company dissolved. At least now she knew why.

"It's the last door on the left," Hale told her once they were inside, handing her a file folder. "I'll be here out front when you get done. And in case you're tempted, I should tell you that all the other exits are set to alarm."

So, Hale had been expecting Lauren to make a run for it then. Truthfully, she hadn't thought about trying to escape from the plant, but even if she did, she wouldn't have gone through with it. There was at least a shred of self-preservation in her body, and she knew that once she was caught again the results would be even worse than they were now.

"I don't plan on trying to escape," Lauren shrugged. "But just so you don't get a false impression of where I am, this will probably take a while."

Hale gave her a slight nod and repeated, "I'll be out front." He stepped outside, leaving Lauren alone in the building.

The hallways were dark and only lit by the emergency bulbs overhead. It probably used to be bustling on a normal day, but the effect now only made it creepier with the lack of people. The only audible sounds were the low hum of the air conditioner and the almost imperceptible buzzing coming from one of the few lights overhead. Lauren swallowed hard and went forward.

She could instantly tell what room the body was in. It was the only one with bright overhead lights on, and the entire thing had already been set up with all the correct tools and necessary equipment. But the real giveaway was the body laid supine on the metal exam table, looking oddly alive though Lauren knew it to be unquestionably dead.

Lauren had seen plenty of dead bodies before, and she'd seen plenty of people make the transition from being alive to being dead. This woman, however, appeared more vibrant than any of the people Lauren had seen from either category. If it weren't for the fact that her chest wasn't moving and there were no pulses in her neck, the doctor wouldn't have suspected that she was even dead — much less dead for four hundred years. Her brown hair was swept up in an elaborate style that must have been popular back then, and she still had color in her cheeks. She was an absolutely stunning specimen.

She couldn't help but think of Bo when she saw her. The woman had the same elegant cheekbones and full mouth, and though she couldn't see her eyes through the closed lids, they sat in a strikingly similar shape. Even the shade of hair was exactly the same, Lauren recalled fondly.

She opened the file folder and nearly gasped when she read the name: _Ysabeau McCorrigan_. As if to further confound the matter, she was also a succubus. Surely, it _had_ to be a coincidence, though Lauren didn't buy that explanation for a second.

The file was a report of the woman's findings four hundred years ago. Ysabeau had been stabbed, or rather had seemingly stabbed herself. The knife was found in Ysabeau's hand. It was later collected, and a Fae was charged with the crime, a Dark mesmer named Vex. Though he continuously proclaimed his innocence during the subsequent trial, he was found guilty by the Light Fae, and ever since then he'd been wasting away in a dungeon, sentenced to spend the rest of his long years behind bars. For a human, it would have been a cruel enough sentence, but for the Fae, it was incomprehensible. As far as she could tell from the report, he was still there, centuries later.

Lauren pulled on her exam gloves and began her evaluation, trying to suppressed the way the older succubus reminded her so pointedly of Bo. The dress Ysabeau was wearing was very delicate and didn't seem to have much fraying, indicating that wherever she was, there wasn't much of a struggle to escape. The fancy threads also didn't fit well with the idea she'd been kidnapped. The only area that had suffered any damage at all was the site of the knife wound, and the sight of it made Lauren flash back to Bo's old injury. It was placed at exactly the same spot: on the left side of her abdomen and thrusted upward. It was the mark of someone who knew what they were doing with a knife and knew where to strike that would instantly do the most damage possible.

The doctor could assess beyond a reasonable doubt that Ysabeau was murdered. But even so, there was no way that she could have inflicted these wounds on herself, assisted or not. The angle of the knife trajectory wouldn't have allowed it, and she wouldn't have been able to twist in the direction that was evident on her body. Vex very well might have been responsible for her death, but if he was, it wasn't because he made her stab herself. Someone else had clearly done it for her with their own two hands.

The rest of her investigation turned up a number of other inconsistencies, including the very knife they accused Vex of using. Lauren was able to draw out a trace of the likely weapon, based on the measurements she took, and it was nothing like the bagged antique knife she held in the exam room. Lauren finished by running every screening test at her disposal — the plant had everything she could have wanted in terms of lab equipment, and there was nothing keeping her from using any of it. She lost track of time as she waited on the machines to finish their work and later returned to Ysabeau's room to record her findings.

A glint from the lights caught her eye as she sat down, and she noticed something she missed on her initial evaluation: a ring on Ysabeau's left ring finger. It was a brilliant gold, but the stone inside it was a dark red. When she looked more closely, Lauren noticed a familiar symbol inside. It was a much smaller version of the one burned on her wrist.

"No wonder Trick loved you," Lauren mused. "You were his wife."

The body obviously made no move to answer her, but Lauren gathered everything she needed to know by putting the puzzle pieces together in her head. She gathered her reports and put the contents of the room back exactly as she found before grabbing her notes and leaving. She stopped at the thick metal door before turning back to the body.

"Goodbye Ysabeau. I'm going to find out who did this to you," she said to the beautiful lifeless woman.

* * *

"Well what did you find?" Trick asked from behind his desk. It was late enough that the bar was beginning to close, and the blood king had clearly not left the entire time Lauren was gone. She was beginning to wonder if he actually lived there.

"Vex wasn't the murderer," Lauren said. "Or at least, if he was, it wasn't in the way described in the report."

"I was afraid of this." Trick pushed himself up from behind his desk and went to his bookshelf, obviously looking for something, though he didn't say what. "Anything else?"

"The knife that was collected with evidence wasn't the one that was used in the attack either. The one found in her hand was short and has small serrations on one side. The blade used was long, curved and had both edges sharpened to a smooth cutting surface. There was a distinct pattern at the hilt as well, and I was able to draw up a picture of the weapon used." She sifted through her notes and handed her rough sketch to Trick. "It's obviously not drawn to scale."

Trick stared at the drawing, and a flurry of emotions crossed his face: confusion, sadness, anger, more confusion… It was far too quick for Lauren to process, and before she had a chance to ask, Trick spoke first. "This seems too detailed. How can you be so sure of this?" he glared at her accusingly.

"Because I studied math and physics at Yale," Lauren retorted. "And I have since studied anatomy more thoroughly than anyone in your employ. If you were only going to question my findings, I don't know why you sent me in the first place."

Trick huffed. "I didn't mean to doubt your abilities. It's just that this —" he held up Lauren's picture, to show her what he was talking about, "— is a serious accusation."

"How so?"

Trick didn't answer with his words. Instead, he abandoned the bookshelf and returned to his desk, where he pulled out an old decorated box from the drawer. He opened it, and Lauren saw a knife, precisely the same size and shape as the one she just drew. It was an ornate weapon with a shining brass handle and jewels along the hilt. Lauren didn't have to ask to know that the gems were real.

"How… you…" Lauren's voice trailed off, and she looked back and forth between Trick and the unique weapon he held in his hand.

"There are only four more of these in existence," he explained. "They were given to the elders, the Light Fae clan leaders from each of the noble families."

"The Scafati, Zamora, Finarvin, Bukharin, and Kavanaugh families," Lauren recalled from the book she read earlier in her makeshift cell.

"Yes." Trick closed the lid and placed the knife and its box back in the drawer. "This one is the one carried by the leader of the Finarvin clan. Though I'd imagine they _could_ make formidable weapons, they were only ever intended to be decorative."

"So that means your wife was killed by one of the Light Fae elders then?"

Trick stiffened at Lauren's deduction, and he clutched the edges of his desk so hard that Lauren could see his knuckles turn white. "So it would seem." His voice was tense and hard, and it sounded as if he were trying to contain some emotional response.

Lauren couldn't fathom the idea of mourning someone for four hundred years, but the man in front of her was still clearly affected by his wife's death centuries after the fact, though it probably didn't help that the old wounds were reopened again today.

"Shouldn't the mesmer be cleared of his charges, since he didn't commit the crime he was accused of doing?"

Trick shook his head. "It's impossible. Firstly, because there is no more Light Fae. There is no one left that could convene and decide to release him. And secondly — and more importantly — his prison is located on the old Light Fae grounds, which is currently under Aife's control. I couldn't have him released even if I wanted to."

"So when are you planning on telling Bo?"

Trick's expression hardened, and though he tried to act as if he was unaffected, Lauren could tell the question had struck a nerve. "Tell her what exactly? I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about," he lied.

"I might be quite a bit younger than you, but I wasn't born yesterday. Ysabeau is a succubus, as is Bo, and I found their resemblance to be more than a little striking — and then there's that nifty little ability that she has with her blood that I can only speculate came from you."

The silence from Trick told Lauren everything she needed to know.

"So again… When are you planning on telling her?" Lauren pressed.

"She cannot know," Trick said firmly, finally finding his voice and confirming all of Lauren's suspicions. "She and her mother are too volatile, too unpredictable. I won't have her bringing her own personal war into this before I know everything."

"Don't you think she deserves to know if you two bear any relation to each other? She might be willing to listen to you if she knew."

Trick shook his head. "With all due respect _Doctor_," he said, placing an odd emphasis on the last word, "this is one of the many areas where I am far more knowledgeable than you are. I have known of Bo for much longer than you have, and trust me when I say that information like this only makes her _more_ erratic and more paranoid."

"Well with all due respect, rightfully so. I would think —"

His fist pounded hard on the desk. "You will hold your tongue!" he snapped, and Lauren grew quiet. "You are not to tell Bo any of what we discussed today, and that is final! I know you will likely be spending time with her as part of our agreement, but if she hears so much as a whisper of what you discovered today, you will not like the consequences." His voice and his stance were menacing, and Lauren could tell that he wasn't bluffing at all.

"Yes sir," she whispered with a single nod, though the words were painful to speak out loud.

"Good. Now you're dismissed. If you'd be so kind as to shut the door on the way out." Trick waved his hand at her to send her on her way.

It was well after midnight by the time Lauren reached her apartment again. Bo was gone from the couch by the time she got back, but thankfully she'd left the lights on in the entranceway so that Lauren could see when she came inside. She dropped her bag next to the door, feeling the relief as she let the weight fall from her shoulders.

Lauren grabbed a quick snack in the kitchen since she hadn't eaten all day, and it did a fair job at settling the pang of hunger in her stomach. But above all else she was tired, so she dragged herself up the stairs to her bedroom, stopping once she reached the doorway.

Bo apparently decided to stay after all. She had changed clothes and made herself comfortable in Lauren's bed, and the doctor could see the back of her head emerging from underneath the covers. She wondered if Bo was already asleep or not, and as she watched the slow, steady movement of Bo's breathing underneath the covers, she realized the brunette was in a deep, deep sleep. Lauren didn't have the heart to wake her either since it was so late.

So Lauren readied herself for bed, and Bo continued to snooze the entire time. Without thinking much of it, Lauren slid into the space next to her, in her usual spot, trying not to jostle the bed too much as she made herself comfortable. Her back was to the succubus, and she was nearly asleep herself when she felt the bed beginning to move again. This time, it was Bo who was shifting around. A few seconds later, her arm found Lauren's waist, and she unconsciously pulled the blonde's body into her.

Lauren's heart started beating wildly in her chest, though it didn't seem as if Bo was aware of what she was doing at all. She gave into the unspoken request and allowed her back to drift into Bo's body. It was comforting, having Bo pressed into her back, so Lauren allowed her own hand to rest on top of the arm at her waist.

There was no space between them, and as Lauren felt the soft breaths caressing her neck, she couldn't help but feel her heart clench when she thought of the glaring secret she would have to keep from Bo when she woke tomorrow.


	12. After Hours

Bo was ecstatic she was finally able to talk the doctor into going out. Granted, a night out for the both of them could only be at the Dal Riata, given their circumstances, but with several shots and a semi-private alcove in the back, it almost felt as if they were someplace else. At least they were separated from the main crowd. The few prying eyes that occasionally glanced their way were easy to ignore under the haze of a few strong drinks.

Bo licked the salt off the crook of her hand and threw back her shot, and she watched Lauren do the same as she bit into her lime. Lauren shook her head when she was finished, though there was a wide smile on her face.

"You know, if I take any more of these, I don't think I'm going to be able to feel my mouth," the blonde laughed, setting her empty glass down on the tiny table with the rest of the collection she and Bo were accumulating together.

Lauren spent the past few days digging into how Bo's thralling power worked. There was rarely a moment when she wasn't completely engrossed in one of the books Bo brought, yet she didn't seem upset by it at all. She had several theories that she wanted Bo to try out on her thralls, but Bo only agreed on the condition that Lauren go out with her. It was a winning situation for both parties, and Bo congratulated herself for being clever enough to think of it on her own.

"I like you like this," Bo smiled back at her. "I like 'after hours Lauren.' She needs to come out and play more often." She gave the doctor a wink and watched as the blush ran up her cheeks.

"You know, if 'after hours Lauren' is able to stand after all this, I think she _would_ be glad to play more often," Lauren chuckled.

"Don't worry, doc. If she can't stand, I'll be glad to carry her out of here."

"Hmm…" Lauren grinned. "I'll keep that in mind."

With Bo's continued presence over the past few days, Lauren started to relax more around her. The initial shock and indignation regarding her situation was starting to go away, and Lauren was finally starting to ask more questions about the Fae. She was a quick learner, Bo soon found out, and also extremely clever. It wasn't long before Bo had to start reading too just to keep up with how much Lauren learned.

"Did you call your guy?" Lauren asked, tilting her head to the side and resting it on her propped up hand. Her long smooth hair fell attractively around her face, and Bo couldn't help but think that it was an intentional pose.

"I did," Bo nodded. "He should be here in a couple of minutes."

This part of the plan was Lauren's idea. Bo was skeptical about it, but she agreed anyway — partly because Lauren's brain operated in ways Bo couldn't necessarily fathom, and partly because it was the only way she could think of to get Lauren to come out with her. Otherwise, the blonde would have insisted that they stay cooped up in her apartment again. It wasn't as if Bo didn't enjoy the space (she did immensely), but it was starting to feel more like a place of work and less like a living space. The change of venue allowed Lauren to open up a bit more, which Bo enjoyed.

"In fact," Bo said as she glanced toward the door, "I think I see him now."

Lauren turned herself in the loveseat to find where Bo was looking. "Which one is it?"

"Tall, red shirt, dirty blonde hair," Bo said letting Lauren search the crowd. "He's a wolf shifter, goes by Cayden. I'd give him credit for being on time, but I don't think he had much of a choice."

"I see him." Lauren untwisted herself and turned back to Bo, giving her a serious look. "Now remember, in its most natural state, your blood is going to want to exert its influence — because it's powerful, Bo. But _you_ are more powerful than your blood. You can control it if you focus hard enough. You can release him." She reached forward and grabbed Bo's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Are you ready?"

Bo nodded. "Yeah, I think so."

"Then go get 'em, succubus," Lauren grinned at her, squeezing her hand once more.

Bo took a deep breath to ready herself, then turned on her seat to find Cayden. She frowned as she directed all her thoughts to releasing him from her thrall. It was an odd experience, trying to tell a part of herself outside of her body what to do. There was no reverse communication happening, and Bo had no idea if whatever she was doing was working or not. She could feel Lauren's eyes watching her closely as she tried, so she focused even more, not wanting to disappoint her. Eventually, after several moments the effort of it made Bo sit back down with a huff of air.

"Did it work?" Lauren asked hopefully.

"I don't know," Bo said, shaking her head. "I didn't feel anything, but I don't know if I'm supposed to feel something or not, you know?"

"You could always ask…"

Bo nodded. It was the easiest way to tell if he was still under her influence. People had a certain way of talking when they were under her command, and it was probable that the first two words out of his mouth would tell Bo everything she needed to know.

"Cayden!" she called out into the crowd. His ears were great and could pick up nearly anything out of the hubbub. Sure enough, his head perked up at the sound of Bo's voice and he came shuffling over.

"Yes, Mistress Isabeau?" he bowed his head as if he were ready to take an order.

Bo groaned. It hadn't worked. Cayden had been a sarcastic funnyman the first time Bo ran into him (if not a bit of an asshole too), and he would have never spoken that way unless he was under the influence of some very powerful drugs — or in this case, Bo's blood.

"Come, here Cayden." Bo curled her finger at him, gesturing for him to lean his face down to her ear. She whispered a set of inaudible instructions to him, and he disappeared back into the crowd a second later.

"What was _that_ about?" Lauren asked.

"What was what about?" Bo asked innocently.

Lauren stared at her, as if the answer was obvious. "Cayden, that's what. What did you say to him?"

"Why Dr. Lewis, I'm sure that I have no idea what you're talking about."

Lauren gave Bo a pointed look, which the succubus successfully ignored. Cayden came traipsing back a moment later, with two mugs of the Dal Riata's best buckthorn mead, one in each hand. He handed one to Bo straight away, and then turned to Lauren, holding out the mug for her to take as well.

"Your secret admirer wants you to know that you're easily the most beautiful woman at this establishment tonight." His voice was oddly formal, at odds with his scruffy appearance, but Lauren blushed heavily at the compliment nonetheless.

"A secret admirer, huh?" Lauren grinned, accepting the proffered glass. "And just who is this secret admirer?"

Cayden turned to Bo. "Should I tell her it was you, Mistress?"

Bo's palm went up to her forehead. "No, Cayden… Please, just… Go back to the bar."

Lauren laughed heartily as the hulking Fae walked away again, and Bo continued to keep her face hidden in the palm of her hand. She felt the gentle pull of Lauren's hand on her wrist, making her relax it and lower it back into her lap.

"Thank you, Bo."

"You're welcome," Bo muttered. "For the record though, he was supposed to make that a _hell_ of a lot smoother. He follows directions as literally as a freaking first grader."

Lauren grinned. "I thought it was cute."

"Hmph." Bo took a sip of mead to cover her scowl.

By some miracle Lauren found the whole exchange endearing, but that was not how she intended for Cayden to handle her request _at all_. Succubi weren't designed to be _cute_, they were genetically obligated to be charming, smooth, and lethally sexy. They certainly didn't navigate pick up lines like kindergartners.

"Are you ready to give it another shot?" Lauren asked after she took a bit of her own drink.

Bo took one last gulp of her own, polishing the glass completely. "Yeah, let's do this."

This time before Bo started straining herself, she felt out the crowd for her own blood's power before straining her mind. It felt a bit like picking one specific voice out of a crowd of people. Fortunately, Bo knew that voice very well, so when she felt it she instantly knew where to direct her energy. She closed her eyes this time, and focused every part of her mind on pushing the feeling away. Bo was so concentrating so hard, she almost didn't notice the hand resting on her shoulder. But all of a sudden, the force she was pushing against with her mind collapsed, and she could no longer feel the presence of her own blood's power outside her body.

Bo's eyes snapped open in surprise. "Did I do it?" she asked frantically, turning to Lauren who had been watching her carefully the entire time.

"I don't know. Was there supposed to be some sort of sign or something?" she frowned.

"Most things with the Fae have some kind of sparkly associated with them, but I didn't see any sparklies." Bo frowned and looked at Cayden across the bar. He was standing by himself with a perplexed look on his face. "Cayden!" Bo called out again.

The wolf's head snapped up, and this time a stern look came across his face. He flipped Bo off in the middle of the bar and stalked out of the place, slamming the front door behind him.

"Oh my," Lauren said.

Bo didn't have such misgivings about his outburst, and there was an enormous smile on her face. "I did it!" She clapped her hands together in excitement and tackled Lauren in a hug, making her fall backward. "I can't believe I did it!"

Once Lauren recovered from the initial shock of falling on her back, she wrapped her hands around Bo too and laughed. "I knew you could," she said, giving the succubus a congratulatory pat on the back. The action served to remind Bo that she had Lauren pinned on the couch, and she backed away to let her sit up again. She still couldn't remove the happy expression from her face if she tried.

"You did. You knew I could do it." Bo looked at Lauren with something akin to admiration.

Lauren nodded. "I did some reading, and based on what I learned about blood as vectors in Fae hosts, I theorized that —"

Her explanation was cut off by Bo surging forward for a kiss. It was short, nothing more than a peck and not even a second long, but it essentially wiped Lauren's mind blank. She completely forgot what she was saying and even forgot to breathe for a moment until her automatic responses kicked in again. Lauren reached up to her lips to touch where Bo's had just been a few seconds ago. The spot still tingled from the contact.

"Thank you," Bo said seriously.

"I — uh — well —" Lauren stammered. She closed her eyes to collect herself and form an actual sentence. "You're welcome."

"So in the interest of your continued education, since it has been so useful thus far," Bo smirked, "I will answer any question that you have for me — except which is my favorite Spice Girl because I honestly don't have an answer for that one."

"Really?"

"Absolutely. Ask away."

Lauren's brow crinkled while she thought. She'd accumulated quite the knowledge base over the past several days, but most of what she learned was strictly from books. As Bo correctly guessed, offering her answers to more complicated questions, ones she couldn't get from a chapter in a text, was something that would have appealed to the doctor.

The corners of her lips twitched before she asked her question. "All right. I understand that you have the ability to read auras. What does that feel like?"

"It's like…" Bo paused to think of a satisfactory response, "The more aroused someone is, the hotter they burn."

"So it's like seeing lights then?"

"Not exactly. It's like this — this _thing_ — that people exude when they're turned on. It just comes off them in waves, and I can feel it, just not on my skin. It's like a completely extra sense. But it feels good… Really, really good." Bo shook her head and chuckled. "It's hard not to give into it at every turn. As you might imagine, it used to get me in trouble a lot when I was in high school."

"I bet." Lauren laughed with her. "So what's _my_ aura like — right now?" The blonde sat back on the couch and draped her arm over the side in a show of nonchalance.

Bo tilted her head at her. "You sure you wanna know?"

Lauren nodded. "On a scale of one to ten."

"Well," Bo said, leaning forward closer to where Lauren was and invading her space, "if I had to put a number on it…" she leaned even closer, and Lauren's aura kept growing brighter and brighter in response. The doctor was keeping a stoic facade, but Bo was able to see through it easily. "I'd say at least a solid eleven." She leaned even closer, eliminating nearly all the distance between them. "Maybe a twelve."

The beautiful thing about being this close was that Bo could actually hear the breath catch in Lauren's throat. It was like music to her ears, and Bo didn't know if that was strictly a succubus trait or if that was one of her own personal quirks — not that she much cared either way.

"I don't… I mean, I… Can't…" Lauren blinked rapidly at Bo, her eyes darting from the brunette's eyes down to her mouth repeatedly.

Bo smirked. "Dr. Lewis, I think this is the first time I've seen you actually speechless." She toyed with Lauren a moment longer before leaning back and returning to her previous position on the couch with a satisfied expression on her face. The blonde was sufficiently flustered, and Bo watched her try and recover her composure. Mostly she did it by chugging the rest of her mead.

Lauren took a deep breath and let it out in a huff once she finished her glass. "That was certainly… enlightening."

Bo grinned. "You know, I'm starting to see why you like this science stuff. It's kinda fun. Keep going, ask me more!" The succubus practically bounced on the seat.

Lauren apparently wasn't able to keep from indulging Bo when she was this excited. Either that, or she was a glutton for punishment — perhaps it was a bit of both. "What about the the succubus abilities of persuasion?" she asked.

"What about them?"

"How do they work?"

"You remember that I can sense people's auras? Their arousal?" Bo asked, and Lauren nodded. "Well it's kind of like that, but in reverse. "I can make someone else feel nothing but pure arousal. It's not a thrall by itself, but that much excitement is fairly… convincing."

"Can you show me?" Lauren said in a quiet voice.

Bo bit her bottom lip and glanced down, her previous giddiness dampened by the request. Exposing something about Lauren that she was already aware of was one thing. But Bo making her have unwelcome feelings — and by all accounts, _false_ feelings — wasn't something that she wanted to subject Lauren to at all. She'd used it as a weapon before, and the idea of using it on the blonde in any capacity didn't sit well with her.

"Please?" Lauren asked again. "You said it yourself, I'm practically a twelve already. Just a little bit?" It was such an innocent request, and her eyes were shining the same way a kid's did when they were asking their parents for a pony. And like any doting parent, Bo couldn't stand to let her down.

"Just a little," Bo said and held out her hand palm up for Lauren, who set her own on top of Bo's. The doctor nodded at Bo's single stipulation, and waited with an eager expression. "You ready?"

"Hit me."

And Bo did. It was as slow and careful as she'd ever let energy flow from her hand. She watched Lauren closely for any sign that it was all too much, but from what she could tell, it was only serving to make her jump from a twelve to a fourteen… then a sixteen…

"Do you feel that?" Bo asked, giving a little burst to let Lauren know what she was talking about. The answer came when she inhaled sharply at the glow hitting her hand. Bo backed off a little, and her breathing returned to normal.

"Yes… What are _you_ feeling now?" Lauren whispered.

"I feel…" Lauren was up to an easy seventeen now, and Bo could feel the pull much more strongly than she did before. She unconsciously leaned forward, Lauren's aura slowly drawing her in like a moth to a flame. It was eighteen now. "…Hungry."

Lauren leaned forward as well, and together they met in the middle.

_Nineteen._

Their faces both tilted together to accommodate the angle and bring their mouths closer and closer together. They were only a fraction of an inch away now, and their noses brushed together lightly. It was a simple touch, yet it snapped Bo out of her trance. She backed away and pulled her hand from Lauren's grasp, severing the connection.

"I'm sorry," Bo whispered. "I can't — not like this."

Lauren frowned when Bo pulled away, obviously frustrated by the way she was left hanging. It was a significant moment, she felt, but Bo ended it before it culminated in anything.

"No, it's fine…" Lauren said. "I shouldn't have asked you to do that."

"Lauren, no," Bo shook her head. "I was the one that agreed to it."

The entire situation had taken a turn for the worse. It didn't change the way Bo felt at all, but the circumstances couldn't have been any more unfortunate. She and Lauren were in the middle of a public bar where the human was seen as little more than a pet to most of those in attendance. Then there was the unfortunate fact that Lauren was technically the property of the blood king, who just so happened to own the bar. Combined with the fact that Bo was still one of the leaders of the ruling party, it was a complicated situation at the very least. Letting anything happen here would only be dangerous for both of them.

Lauren sensed the change in Bo's demeanor and instantly knew that something wasn't right. She put her hand on Bo's arm, not in a seductive or flirtatious way, just in a friendly, supportive gesture.

"Do you want to leave?" she asked gently.

Bo nodded. "I think it might be for the best."

"Okay. Let's go."

Bo was sober enough to drive back, so she took them both to Lauren's apartment. She wasn't planning on staying the night though. She just needed her bag. So Bo hoisted it onto her shoulder as soon as she walked inside and turned back to Lauren, who was already reclined back into the couch.

"I can't come by tomorrow during the day," Bo announced into the silent room, "but I do have something planned tomorrow night. That is, if you'd like to join me?" Her upward inflection turned her last sentence into a question.

"Sure. What is it?"

Bo grinned. "It's a surprise. Just be ready by eight."

Lauren smiled at her. "Okay, tomorrow. It's a date." Bo started to walk away, nearly reaching the front door before Lauren called back to her. "Bo?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you… for tonight."

Bo nodded. "Anytime. But I should be really be the one thanking you."

"You did everything by yourself," Lauren explained. "I just told you that you could."

"Either way, I couldn't have done it without your help, so thank you."

"I'll see you tomorrow, Bo."

Bo blew her a kiss and then stepped out, shutting the door behind her.

* * *

Bo waited until precisely ten o'clock before she pushed the doors to her mother's hall open. As she expected, the older succubus was still asleep, and there were a number of visitors in her bed last night. Various body parts were covered, and others were exposed, but her mother was in the center of them all, neatly covered amongst the chaos around her.

"Mother," Bo called out to the mass of bodies. There was a slight twitch, but nobody moved to get up. So she tried a little louder. "Mother, wake up."

One of the other Fae popped their heads up from beneath the sheets and looked at Bo curiously. Bo simply pointed at her mother, signaling to arouse her from her sleep. He nudged Aife gently, and her body shuddered as she woke. Her head popped up from the bed, instantly spotting Bo.

"Is it ten o'clock, dear?" Aife asked. Bo knew she would have gotten an earful if it wasn't, which is why she smartly waited.

"Two minutes after."

"Hmm…" Her voice was still suffused with sleepiness. "What is it that I can do for you at this ungoldly hour?"

"I wanted to let you know of the plan."

Bo spent the better part of last night cooking up a story to tell her mother. The details had to be tight, and Bo had the whole thing outlined down to the last detail. It had been difficult keeping up her appearances with her mother for the past few days, but as a succubus, Aife thankfully never asked many questions. Any of those disappearances could easily be explained by a "succubus bender" but moving forward, Bo would have to be more careful if she wanted her mother to remain ignorant of her true goals.

"Well what is it?" Aife pushed herself up on her elbows, the sheets staying graciously up around her chest.

"There's been more movement around the rebel base," Bo confabulated. "I suspect that they're either adding another venue to their holding or moving entirely. I haven't been able to pin down their next location yet, but I was planning on doing some surveillance myself over the next few days."

Aife frowned. "How are they able to afford to buy more property? All of their assets went to me when the clans fell…"

"They could be smuggling off the docks," Bo shrugged. "The demand is definitely there and it would give them a steady source of income to mount their operations." She internally patted herself on the back for anticipating this line of questioning and having an answer ready.

Aife thought about Bo's explanation for a moment. "You know, Isabeau? That might be right." She sat up fully, exposing herself and letting the sheet fall to her waist before extricating herself from her tangle of bed partners and climbing out. "Do you know where my robe is, sweetheart?" Aife asked sweetly, not at all caring that she was completely naked in front of her daughter and several other people.

Bo looked away and pointed to her throne where the silk garment was draped across the armrest. "Over there."

"Thank you, dear." Aife sauntered over to slide it on, then turned back toward Bo. "Now I want you to show me your notes on this. It's been a while since I've been out in the field, and I do miss it sometimes."

_Shit_.

Bo hadn't prepared any notes for her mother. Typically on her regular operations, she would have, but on a faux mission she didn't see the need to have anything ready. Bo just needed the story — or so she thought.

"Uh… Yeah… Of course," Bo said. Her mind was reeling at a million miles per hour to come up with a way to diffuse the situation. "Right this way."

The thoughts came quickly while they walked together through the arcade. Several passing soldiers stopped and bowed at the sight of Bo and Aife together. Bo pressed her lips together and continued walking, but Aife blew kisses and waved seductively at all of them. Obviously she enjoyed the attention much more than Bo did.

Aife took barely one step in Bo's hall before she stopped dead in her tracks. "Balls of minotaur!" Aife said, her hand flying to her chest before she turned to her daughter. "Isabeau, what in the _hell _have you done here!"

Bo cringed. After her outburst a few days ago in which she'd broken just about every piece of furniture in her room, she hadn't done much cleaning. The only item that survived intact was Bo's bed, and even then she had to clean off debris before she used it for the first time afterward. The place looked nothing short of a war zone.

"I uhh — I had an ogre here last night," Bo said, realizing just how terrible the hall must have looked to an outsider.

"Oh honey. No, no, no…" Aife shook her head. "What have I told you about feeding on the ogres? They're far too rough on the furniture. Look at this mess!"

"Sorry."

"It's fine dear," Aife turned and cupped Bo's cheek with her hand. "We all forget and break the rules sometimes. Just promise me you'll remember next time."

"I will."

Aife nodded. "And what are the Fae we'd like to avoid taking back to our beds if at all possible?"

"Ogres, Gorgons, Cheenoos, Fire Fae, Mama Watas, and Furies," Bo recited. There were others her mother warned her about, but succubi were far less likely to end up in bed with them anyway.

"Very good," Aife nodded. "But don't forget the Domovoi and the Wolves. They're absolute hell on the upholstery."

"Yes, Mother."

Bo managed to stall her mom long enough to come up with a plan. She kept a huge city map in her study, mostly for strategizing, and she dragged it out across her mangled desk to show her mother. Of course, the warehouse by the docks was already circled. But Bo managed to invent new plausible locations on the fly, circling those as well. Aife watched her intently and soaked up every word she said, so Bo made sure to pick locations that were the farthest away from both the Dal Riata and Lauren's apartment, not wanting her mother within five miles of either of those places.

"I suppose this will all make more sense once we know what the old blood geezer is up to," Aife said once Bo finished with her improvised explanation.

"That's why I plan on watching them closely for a little while. See what they're planning," Bo nodded enthusiastically. "I don't plan on engaging them yet because their numbers haven't changed at all, but I want to know what they're playing at before I go in again."

Aife smiled. "That's my smart, smart girl. Do let me know what you find out, would you?" She turned to leave, but Bo stopped her.

"Mother?"

"Yes, Isabeau?"

Bo swallowed thickly. "Do you mind if I borrowed Kenzi for a few minutes?"

Aife shook her head slowly, "Isabeau, I don't think that's a good —"

"I just wanted her to take a look at my favorite jacket," Bo lied. "She's really good with fashion and clothes and everything, and I got some manticore poison on it last week that I need to get out. I figured she could help… Unless you had some advice, that is."

Asking Aife about house chores was a definitive way to get her to clear a room in less than thirty seconds, and Bo knew it. In addition to the fighting force it provided her, it was one of the main reasons she enjoyed having thralls around her all the time. They waited on her hand and foot. Bo knew that if it came down to helping Bo herself or lending her Kenzi, Aife would definitely pick the latter.

"Fine, I'll get her for you," Aife said, confirming Bo's suspicions. "I want her back in thirty minutes though. Momma needs a back massage." She grinned hugely, looking proud of herself.

Bo bit back her retort. "Fine," she said through clenched teeth. Aife was oblivious to the effect her words had on Bo, and she flounced away back to her side of the compound.

Bo spent the next several minutes picking up some of the broken bits and pieces strewn about her room. The floor was starting to clear a little, slowly but surely, when she heard the light sound of someone clearing their voice at the wide open door. Bo glanced up to the familiar face.

"Can I assist you, Isabeau?" Kenzi asked, her voice oddly stiff and formal. It made Bo's heart hurt. She missed her sarcastic, fun loving, and impassioned friend. This person in front of her was a mere shell of who she used to be.

Bo ignored her question. "How are you, Kenzi?" she asked the young girl. "Are they treating you well?" Bo didn't even realize that she still had two handfuls of trash in her hands.

"Mistress Aife is a fair master. I still have much to improve on myself, however — many changes to be made."

"Kenzi, don't say that." Bo dropped the junk from her hands and stepped forward, reaching behind her visitor to snap the doors shut. "Don't ever even think that. You are perfect just the way that you are, do you hear me?"

"If that's your opinion, you are more than welcome to it." Kenzi shrugged. There was no emotion in her voice at all.

Bo shook her head and grabbed onto Kenzi's shoulders. "Dammit Kenz, she has you brainwashed! Can't you see that?" Bo's voice broke toward the end, and the tears started to form behind her eyes. She wouldn't let them fall — not yet — but every second she watched her friend like this, they grew closer and closer to escape.

"I think if either of us is altered here, it's you, Isabeau."

A single tear escaped from Bo's eye, and she put forth every ounce of energy into keeping her voice as steady as possible. "Kenzi, listen to me. Remember a couple of weeks ago when we first met at the Dal? You told me something. Do you remember what it was?" Bo kept her grip on Kenzi's shoulders and searched her eyes for any sign of recognition, but all she saw was a blank expression. "You told me that you didn't want me to turn you into a zombie. And I told you that you would stay just as you were. Remember that?"

Kenzi stayed maddeningly silent.

Bo gave her shoulders a squeeze, anything to try and snap her back into some form of her usual self. "She's turned you. She's made you something that you're not. Kenzi, you have to fight it… Please, I know it's hard… But just _please _try and fight it."

Bo was well aware that she was begging now, and around almost anyone else, she would have been too embarrassed to lay her emotions so bare. But this wasn't just anyone; it was Kenzi. This was the first person to treat her as something other than the infamous succubus warlord. If this was the only time she'd ever get to spend alone with her, Bo had to try. Her efforts were fruitless though. There was not even the slightest flicker of recognition behind Kenzi's bright blue eyes, and they were completely lifeless.

"Mistress Aife will be requiring my presence," Kenzi said, reaching for her wrist mark in her same familiar self-conscious gesture. Bo grabbed it, holding it still.

"I know you're in there somewhere." Bo glared hard into her eyes, willing herself to see where her friend was hiding. "So if the real Kenzi is in there listening, this message is for her: I will find out how to fix this, and I will set you free. You won't have to spend your life being someone's slave."

Kenzi pulled her hand away, though her facial expression didn't betray a single ounce of emotion. "You know nothing of slavery, Isabeau. Aife is fairer than any I have encountered. It's an honor to belong to her."

Bo dropped her other hand from Kenzi's shoulder in defeat. She didn't know what else to say. This simply wasn't her best friend anymore. It was her body only, a cheap imitation; her own mind and personality were completely suppressed by the thrall. Bo would still fight with everything she had to free her, as she promised, but this version of Kenzi only caused her more pain to be around.

"Kenzi, I know this may not mean anything to you right now… But I do love you," Bo whispered, the tears starting to come much more freely now. "And I promise — I will make this right."


	13. Bingo

The trouble with a surprise date was that Lauren had no idea what to wear. Eight o'clock was later than a usual dinner, though many of the higher end restaurants in town often served well past ten o'clock to cater to the white collar crowd. Lauren wasn't a huge fan of such places; she'd endured them enough during conferences with the hospital and found them stuffy and pretentious. But with Bo as company, it would have been much more enjoyable.

Lauren didn't have any other idea as to where they would be going either — at least anyplace that would have been a surprise. So she prepared accordingly. A dress would be standard attire so Lauren chose her favorite one: a short black number that fastened loosely around her neck and exposed a long portion of her back. If Lauren had her way, she wouldn't have worn any other dress ever.

As if it were some sort of indication for how the rest of the night would go, she timed her preparation perfectly. Lauren was just fastening her tiny gold earrings when she heard the knock at her door. Even though she'd given Bo her spare key, the brunette still knocked whenever Lauren was there. The doctor smiled and grabbed the thick gold bangle from her dresser, snapping it around her wrist to hide her unsightly brand. She hurried downstairs, swung the door open and frowned.

"I'm overdressed," Lauren blurted, seeing Bo standing in the doorway. She was in her regular clothes, and though she looked beautiful in it, as always, it clearly wasn't intended for a fancy date. "I'm sorry, I just assumed… I can't believe… I'm really —"

"Don't apologize, Lauren," Bo cut her off, shaking her head. "You look perfect. Absolutely stunning."

Lauren rolled her eyes at herself in her usual self-deprecating manner, and when she looked back up to Bo, she noticed something else, something that she didn't notice at first because she'd been too distracted by her attire. Bo's eyes were slightly swollen, as if she'd been crying recently. She was otherwise composed, however, and the only reason Lauren noticed it was because she was so familiar with the planes of her face from admiring them.

"Bo, are you all right?" Lauren asked, not wanting to push her if she didn't want to talk about it.

Most people would have promptly said yes and attempted to hide whatever was bothering them. So Lauren knew it had to be bad when Bo's face started to crumple and she slowly shook her head from side to side.

"Oh Bo… Come here." Lauren pulled the succubus forward and closed the door behind her. Bo didn't resist the pull at all, practically collapsing into Lauren's arms. "It's okay. I've got you." Lauren rubbed her back while Bo buried her face into the side of her neck.

Without letting go, Lauren led them both further inside to the couch where she sat them both down. Bo's tears were wetting the strap of her dress, but Lauren kept her there, wrapping her arms around her back. It was several long minutes before her sniffles started to gradually slow, eventually coming to a full stop. Bo was the one to pull away, and she instantly wiped at her eyes.

"Sorry," Bo muttered.

"It's okay," Lauren assured her. "I just hope that it wasn't in response to what I was wearing. _I_ didn't think it was that bad, but you never know, do you?" Bo chuckled, but it was almost a strangled sound after her crying earlier. "Did you want to talk about it?" Lauren asked.

"I saw Kenzi today," Bo whispered, staring down at her lap and trying to hide her pained expression.

"And?"

"I guess I wasn't ready for how much it hurt seeing her like that, talking to her…" Bo closed her eyes for a moment. "I mean, I've seen her around, but this was the first time I've _really_ seen her up close… ever since..."

Lauren reached forward, rubbing Bo's arm. "How was she?"

Bo sighed. "It's like she didn't even recognize me. She used to be terrified of being thralled, and now…" Bo paused, rolling her eyes, "now she acts like it's the best thing that ever happened to her. How could anyone be happy living like that?"

"I'm sorry."

"And you know what the worst part is?" Bo continued, and her voice cracked underneath the strain of trying to keep herself from losing it again. "All of that just reminded me again how much of a monster I am — because _I've_ done that to people. I used to say that my way was so much better than Trick's… because I at least had the decency to make people _feel_ like they wanted to fight for me. But it was really worse. Not only did I hold them against their will, I took away who they were." Her voice broke again on the last sentence, and she bowed her head forward to hide the sudden onslaught of emotions that overtook her.

"Bo, look at me please?" Lauren said gently. It took several long moments, but Bo eventually did as she asked. The look of compassion there was almost too much, but the succubus forced herself to maintain eye contact. "You're not a monster," Lauren told her with absolute conviction. "I know that. Those things that you did in the past? That wasn't you — that was your mother. You haven't used your thrall on a single person since you've been free from her influence, and you're even learning how to unbind your thralls all on your own. How could you say those things about yourself?"

"Because they're true," Bo finally let out a sob. "_I_ was the one who agreed to her plan in the first place. And whether it was under her influence or not, it still doesn't change the fact that I was able to do those horrible things in the first place."

The doctor turned herself on the couch so that her body was completely facing Bo's, tucking her leg up underneath her. It wasn't an easy feat in her dress, but she managed it. She reached forward, taking Bo's face and cradling it in both her hands.

"We all reach out to people that we trust when we're struggling, Bo," Lauren said. "You reached out to your mother — someone who by all accounts, you _should_ have been able to trust. You reached out to her because you felt lost and alone, and she took advantage of that. The fact that she betrayed that trust isn't on you at all. That blame lies squarely on her."

"But —" Bo looked as if she was going to contend the point, but Lauren stopped her.

"Every person on this earth is capable of doing awful things, but not every person is a monster. And _you_ are not a monster. Your heart is too big, Bo, and that's one of the things I lov—" Bo's eyes instantly shot up, finding Lauren's. The succubus waited for her to continue, but Lauren couldn't finish the sentence she'd been about to say — not now, at least. The brief look of anticipation vanished on Bo's face almost as quickly as it had come.

"Even if I'm not a monster, it doesn't bring Kenzi back." Bo shook her head in Lauren's hands.

Lauren's brows furrowed in thought. "You know," she said slowly, bringing her hands down, "I _might_ just have an answer for that." It took a moment for her words to register with Bo, but once they did, her face lit up brightly with hope. "I need to do some research tomorrow before I can tell you anything," Lauren said, not wanting Bo's expectations to be too high too early. "And even then, I probably wouldn't have a definitive answer for you for a while."

"Still, just even the possibility…" Bo's eyes shone with wonder. "I don't know what I could ever do that would even begin to thank you."

"I have an idea of where you could start." Lauren's tone was suddenly flirtatious and the edges of her lips curled into a grin.

"Oh yeah?" Bo said, catching onto the change of mood. "And where's that?"

"Well, as I do recall… You _do_ owe me a date tonight."

"I do, don't I?" Bo mused. Lauren nodded, and Bo's eyes dragged down her body, taking in her attire. Her eyes seemed to flash for a fraction of a second, but Lauren couldn't tell if it was the light originated from her eyes themselves or was a reflection from the lights in the apartment. "Hmm… As much as I love this dress on you, I think you might be more comfortable without it."

Lauren raised her eyebrows at her.

"I meant 'change.'" Bo chuckled.

"Sure you did."

"But… if you did need some help, I'd be gland to lend you an extra pair of hands," Bo said, causing a flare in Lauren's arousal. She grinned, noticing the change her words had caused. "You show me yours, and I'll show you mine?" To Lauren's credit, she kept her facial expression surprisingly impassive despite Bo's antics.

"You forget that I've already seen yours, remember?" Lauren pushed herself off the couch, and patted Bo on the shoulder as she got up. "But nice try."

Bo was primed and ready with a retort, but Lauren didn't give her the opportunity to voice it before she left for her bedroom again. She'd left the succubus hanging while she went to change clothes, knowing that she was likely to work herself into a state while Lauren was upstairs. It was much quicker getting ready the second time, however, so Bo wasn't kept waiting very long. All Lauren had to do was slide into a pair of her usual jeans and a sweater.

Lauren was gone less than ten minutes, but when she descended the stairs again, sure enough — Bo was pacing up and down her living room.

"You ready?" she asked, breaking Bo's meticulous ritual. Bo whirled around to find Lauren and nodded enthusiastically, a wide smile coming to her face. "Then let's go."

Bo scampered forward to meet Lauren at the base of the stairs, hooking their arms together when the doctor reached the bottom. It felt so natural now, them being together like this. Physical contact had become a regular part of their interactions, and the fact that there always seemed to be little space between them was oddly comforting to them both. For Bo, Lauren suspected that it was a part of her innate personality. For Lauren, however, it was a matter of trust. The past week would have been an absolute nightmare had it not been for Bo. There were still parts of it that Lauren never wanted to think about again, but Bo made it bearable — she was one constant source of brightness in the doctor's life.

Lauren allowed Bo to lead them out, and she was following her when she felt an abrupt jerk on her arm, as if Bo just stopped in the middle of the hallway. Lauren turned to her, confused by the sudden pause. They were barely even out of the door.

"Bo?" Lauren gave her arm a slight tug. "Bo? What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Then why aren't we going?" Lauren looked bewildered.

Bo pulled Lauren back closer to her and smirked. "Because we're here."

Lauren blinked several times in confusion. They were standing in front of her neighbor's door, and besides Bo's earlier incident with the baseball bat, she hadn't mentioned Helga at all. Lauren didn't remember her inviting them over either. None of that bothered Bo at all because she reached forward and rapped on the door three times.

"Bo, what are we —"

The door swung open, and a festive-looking Helga stood in the doorway. Lauren had to do a double-take; she'd never seen her neighbor in bright pink pants and a sequined vest before. Helga was clearly enjoying herself though. Her eyes were crinkled even more than usual with the wide smile on her face, and she was positively beaming.

"Bo, dear! So glad you and my Lauren could come!" She took a step forward and pulled both of them into a hug, taking one woman in each arm. "I was beginning to worry that you weren't going to make it."

"We were just running a little late, that's all. But we're here now," Bo said. She glanced at Lauren and gave her a wink.

"Good, good! We're about to get started, so come in!" She waved them both forward into her apartment. "Now, the food and drinks are in the kitchen, and try not to sit too close to Eleanor… She's had a few too many mimosas, and she's starting to get sloppy." Helga waddled back into the apartment to entertain her other guests, looking thrilled to have such a good turnout to her party.

Lauren couldn't help but smile at the turn of events. "Bo, what is this?" Her tone wasn't accusing at all. On the contrary, she was more amused than anything else.

"It's bingo night."

"_You_, oh fearsome succubus, play bingo?"

"Yeah, why not?" Bo's face was completely serious.

"I guess… I guess I wouldn't have thought hanging out with a bunch of old ladies was your style," Lauren chuckled. "Though I'm glad you seem to have made nice with Helga. When did that happen?"

"I went to drop off her mail a few days ago when you were with Hale," Bo explained. "She invited me inside, and she told me all of your dirty little secrets."

It warmed Lauren's heart to hear that Bo took care of Helga's errand in her absence. Lauren hadn't specifically asked her to, but Bo did it anyways. It was thoughtful of her, and it no doubt won Helga over.

"I'm sure she appreciated that, Bo. But just for your information, Helga doesn't know any of my dirty secrets."

"Hmm…" was all Bo said before casually strolling into the apartment, leaving Lauren to tag along behind her. She headed straight to the kitchen and mixed them both drinks. They were both strong, much stronger than what anyone else would be drinking here tonight, and Bo had a glint in her eyes when she handed Lauren her fruity drink. "You know, sometime in the future you need to tell me the mechanical bull story."

Lauren's jaw dropped. "How did you…?" She couldn't even finish the rest of her sentence from the shock.

That had been years ago, right after she passed her final board exam her intern year. The alcohol had flowed more than a little too freely that night, and she ended up making a fool of herself in front of many of the senior residents at the bar. She eventually got so drunk that she had to call someone to pick her up from the bar.

Helga.

"I love your dirty little secrets," Bo grinned, repeating the phrase from earlier and heading into the living room to join the playing field.

There were several tables set up for the players, and by the looks of it, none of them except for Bo and Lauren were under the age of sixty-five. They found a couple of chairs near the end of one table and pulled them next to each other, giving them a good vantage point of the rest of the room.

Bo leaned over and whispered in Lauren's ear: "Twenty bucks says that's Eleanor over there." She nodded toward the far side of the room, and Lauren followed her discreet gesture.

The doctor would have bet a hundred dollars that it was Eleanor. She'd cleared out a healthy perimeter around herself and was surrounded by multiple empty champagne flutes, but the most unusual visual was the scarf she had tied around her forehead. Eleanor was completely oblivious to everyone else in the room and seemed quite content to entertain herself for the rest of the night. She had obviously pre-partied harder than anyone else here. Eleanor didn't even acknowledge when Helga called for the games to begin; she was too busy babbling nonsense to herself.

It was Bo's first time to play bingo, and as it turned out, she didn't have much luck with it. She bought into every game, but she never once won anything. Lauren, on the other hand, had nearly fifty dollars by the time the game was scheduled for its first break. She could tell that Bo wasn't accustomed to losing anything; the brunette had a scowl on her face at the end of every game.

"Are you doing okay, Bo?" Lauren asked. The cards were being passed down the table to start the next round, so Lauren took one for herself and Bo before passing them along to the next person. "You know, we don't have to play if you don't want to."

"No, no, it's fine," Bo's expression instantly brightened at Lauren's question. "I think I just need another drink, that's all." She moved to get up, but Lauren reached over to put her hand on Bo's shoulder, motioning for her to stop.

"No, I'll get it," Lauren offered. "I need to stretch my legs a little anyway."

"You sure?"

"Yes." Lauren pushed her card in front of Bo and gave her a bright smile. "Here. Play for me."

The doctor took her own glass as well as Bo's back into the kitchen. The next round was due to start in mere minutes, so the room was empty — or so Lauren thought. She heard a rustling behind her while she was pouring Bo another drink and turned around to see Helga struggling to hoist up a giant bag of ice to the counter top.

"Let me get that," Lauren said, lifting the heavy bag easily to the counter.

"Thank you dear," Helga said. "This old body isn't what it used to be, I'm afraid."

"You're welcome."

Helga busied herself with putting more ice and vodka in the punch bowl (the latter probably wasn't entirely necessary) and quietly hummed a tune to herself. Lauren was nearly finished with the drinks, when older woman spoke again.

"Are those both yours?" Helga asked, glancing at the two glasses in front of Lauren.

"No. This one is Bo's." Lauren held up the one she'd been most meticulous about, making sure it was mixed perfectly.

"I see," Helga nodded. "And how long have you two been dating?" she asked offhandedly.

Lauren's eyes got wide at her neighbor's question. "No, no… Bo and I… We're not dating." The string of words came out in a jumble because she was caught off guard.

She and Bo were — well, _something_. What they had was unlike any of Lauren's past relationships, but she didn't even know what to call her connection with Bo yet. Lauren enjoyed being around her, and Bo made her feel more alive than she ever had before. Part of her knew that she needed time to adjust to being in the Fae world before she committed to anything just yet. It was such a new development in her life, and not necessarily all in a good way. Her interactions with Trick and his colleagues were all forced, and she was completely subjugable to them. Thankfully, she hadn't been forced to deal with them often since she was kidnapped, but it was still a frequent source of worry. With Bo, it was easy to forget sometimes.

"You know, Harold and I never dated either," Helga mused. Harold was her late husband of fifty years, Lauren remembered. She'd only met him once or twice before he died, but he and Helga were inseparable until the very end. "I ended up just dragging his scrawny little butt to the altar myself and didn't let him leave until he took the vows."

"It's complicated."

What an understatement _that_ was. But Lauren could hardly tell Helga that Bo was a member of a supernatural race, and that Lauren herself was recently acquired as one of their leader's property.

"Not all that complicated, from what I can tell," Helga shrugged. "Even Eleanor noticed the way she's been looking at you all night." Lauren gave her a skeptical look, not for a moment believing that the woman who was so drunk she tied a scarf around her head would have noticed how Bo was acting. "It's true!" Helga defended herself, seeing Lauren's accusing expression. "She had a more — interesting — choice of words, but even she noticed it."

Lauren leaned back to poke her head through the kitchen's doorway, catching a glimpse of Bo. She'd clearly been staring at her and Helga talking in the kitchen, and the succubus looked away quickly back to her game board, pressing more dots on her card. So maybe Helga was right about Bo…

"Just because we happen to be attracted to each other doesn't make it any less complicated," Lauren pointed out to her.

Helga's eyes softened for a moment, losing all hint of the teasing behind them. She reached out and placed her thin hand on top of Lauren's in an almost motherly gesture. "Lauren, I know that you like to be in control of everything, to solve everything messy and make it into a nice uncomplicated situation. That's part of what makes you such a wonderful doctor." Helga shook her head, and the tight white curls bounced on top of her head. "But people aren't like that — relationships aren't like that. They will never be nice and neat, and by the time you've made things uncomplicated, you'll have white hair, arthritis, brittle bones, hearing aids, and diverticulosis so bad that you'll need to take ten Metamucils a day just to keep your colon from exploding."

Helga sometimes had this way of speaking uncomfortable truths to people. Lauren didn't know if it was simply the kind of wisdom that came with age, or if it was the result of something that was uniquely Helga. But her observations — yet again — caused Lauren to be at a loss for words.

The last time she made such an observation about Lauren and her relationships was a couple of years ago, with Nadia. Helga insinuated that Lauren was settling with her, that there wasn't any sort of spark in their relationship. Lauren naturally got defensive about it tried to make it happen on her own. Needless to say, it hadn't worked out between the two of them. Lauren wasn't even all that upset about the relationship ending; she was more ashamed that she blew of Helga's advice and alienated her friend.

"I'll keep that in mind," Lauren said. It was a tentative promise of sorts, but Helga knew that it was the best she would get when the topic of conversation was Lauren's romantic life.

"I'm glad." Helga scooped out a few ice cubes and dropped them in each of Lauren's glasses. She even placed a toy umbrella in Bo's before giving her a sly wink and shooing her out of the kitchen.

Bo was concentrating extra hard on her game card when Lauren returned. The little crinkle at her brow was adorable, and the way she was biting her bottom lip made Lauren's head swim for some inexplicable reason. She slid into the seat next to Bo's easily and gave her the new drink. Lauren didn't even give her a chance to enjoy it though. She reached down below the table's surface and searched out Bo's hand, threading their hands and fingers together tightly. The close contact caused Bo's attention to break, and she glanced at Lauren curiously with one eyebrow raised.

"Everything okay?" Bo asked, barely above a whisper.

Lauren leaned over and gave Bo a quick peck on the cheek. The move clearly surprised the brunette, and for the first time, Lauren noticed an obvious blush to rise to Bo's cheeks. "Everything's fine," the doctor assured her.

Neither one of them let go the rest of the evening. Bo actually started seeking out more contact underneath the tables, and she pressed her legs against Lauren's and let her hands rest over the blonde's knees.

Lauren's bingo card was absolute shit this round, and they were playing the most difficult pattern: blackout. Ten minutes into the game, and she knew she didn't stand a chance at winning anything. Bo was still pressed up against Lauren and focused intensely on her card, so Lauren decided to get her attention.

She untangled her fingers from Bo's grasp, earning her a worried look from the succubus. Lauren had been expecting as much, and she placated Bo with a reassuring look. The worried look completely disappeared when Lauren moved her hand to rest on Bo's thigh. Her eyes closed at the sensation of the doctor's hand, so Lauren slowly applied more pressure. She noticed that Bo's breathing was becoming more shallow, and Lauren watched in awe at the effect she was having on Bo.

"Lauren, please," Bo whispered. It sounded almost like a plea and a warning all at once.

Lauren wasn't really controlling the actions of her hand much anymore. Some involuntary part of her brain was sending the signal for it to move, so Lauren's hand kept inching further and further up Bo's thigh. When her palm reached the apex, Bo's jaw snapped shut with an audible click, and she stood bolt upright from her chair. The sudden move startled Lauren and snapped her out of the mindless trance she'd been in. Was she really about to touch Bo in a room full of old ladies?

"Bingo!" Bo shouted breathlessly.

There was a muttering of disapproval from the room. Lauren, on the other hand, was relieved; her breath started to even out once she realized that Bo's reaction hadn't been a denial of her advances. Bo was still clearly affected, though. Her hands were balled up into tightly clenched fists, and her breathing was still erratic.

Bo sat back down while the caller came by to verify her card. Lauren took her hand again, this time with no teasing intent. She was worried that Bo wouldn't take her hand after what just happened. But Bo grasped it in return, and the succubus slowly started to relax again.

The caller held up Bo's card, which was covered in red dots. "Well Bo, it looks like you've really won!" she said.

"I did?" The succubus looked at Lauren for verification.

The doctor nodded and gave her hand a squeeze. "You did. And that was the top round."

Bo's smile grew a mile wide, showing off her deep dimples. It was the biggest Lauren had seen her smile in a long time, and it made her even more attractive, if that were possible. Unfortunately for Lauren, she wouldn't get to see Bo win any more games tonight. The blackout round was saved for last, and Bo just won it. She was just thrilled to see Bo looking so happy, especially after how she showed up earlier this evening. The payout for the game was two hundred dollars, though the money didn't seem to matter to Bo all that much.

Most of the regular crowd didn't let the end of the game stop them from continuing to socialize. Lauren and Bo didn't know anyone other than their host, Helga, so they simultaneously came to the same decision to leave. Helga was understandably sad to see them go, but she thanked them again for attending, even going so far as to give Lauren a clandestine wink before they left.

"Can I walk you home?" Bo asked.

"Afraid that I'm going to get mugged on the six foot walk back to my place?" Lauren laughed.

"Hey. You never know."

"No, I guess you don't." Lauren agreed and linked her arm underneath Bo's. "I would very much like it if you walked me home."

There was only a little alcohol in Lauren's system, but she swiftly felt dizzy from her proximity to Bo. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling at all. It was just something that Lauren hadn't felt in a long time. She didn't want to admit what it meant just yet, so she hurried the best she could to open the door and get inside. Bo obviously sensed that something was awry, but she didn't say anything about it yet she simply followed. There was still a curious look on her face though, and Lauren knew she was going to have to address it with Bo sooner or later.

"Do you want a drink?" Lauren asked quickly to deflect her sudden awkwardness. "I think I need a drink."

The doctor didn't even give Bo a chance to respond before she disappeared into the kitchen. Her hands shook as she poured the chenin blanc even though she was using both of them to stabilize the bottle. The glass on the bottle neck clinked against the wine glass several times, giving Bo the opportunity to sneak in the kitchen unnoticed.

"You feeling all right?" Bo asked, a growing concern in her voice. She'd clearly seen Lauren's tremulous hands from a moment ago.

Lauren picked up the two glasses of wine and handed one of them to Bo. She was trying to keep her expression as blasé as possible, but she was only marginally successful. "I'm fine… Really."

Bo eyed Lauren carefully from over the top of her wine glass. The succubus sipped slowly, but Lauren appeared dead set on draining the entire glass in one go. Bo's eyes grew wide as she watched. She'd seen Lauren drink before, even to excess, but something about the way she was acting was completely off base. Despite her refusal that anything was wrong, Bo could tell Lauren was avoiding something.

"Lauren, please stop for a sec."

_Too late_, Bo thought. _She's just finished the entire thing_. Lauren set her glass down on the counter and reached for the bottle again. Bo stepped forward, placing her hand on Lauren's to stop her. It was probably the only reason the blonde paused, and she looked up to Bo with an unreadable expression.

"Tell me what's the matter," Bo said. "I can't help if you don't tell me… And that's what we do, right? We help each other." She said it so simply, so matter of factly, it was obvious that Bo meant every word.

A multitude of emotions flooded through Lauren, and there was no way that Bo was able to discern all of them. Bo's brows furrowed in confusion as she tried to make sense of Lauren's actions. She was about to ask another question, but the doctor acted first.

She put the half empty bottle back down on the counter with a heavy clang and reached up around Bo's neck to pull her in for a scorching kiss. The succubus let out a surprised gasp at the sudden change of events, but she eventually closed her eyes and relaxed into it, letting Lauren take the lead. The sweetness of the wine was still on Lauren's lips, and Bo found herself wanting more. Their first kiss in the kitchen was slow and tentative. This one was anything but, and the sudden flare from Lauren's aura had Bo's instincts clawing at her inside. It didn't help when Lauren's hands started to wander from Bo's neck, slowly down her back. She felt the electric sensation of fingers grazing the skin of the small of her back, and Bo abruptly pulled away, gasping for air.

Lauren's arousal was blazing at a solid twenty, and it was more intense than Bo had ever experienced — ever. If she were thinking more clearly, Bo might have theorized as to why that was, but her thoughts were otherwise occupied at the moment. She was holding onto Lauren's shoulders tightly, and the blonde's arms are still firmly around her waist, not letting either of them move completely away from each other.

"Did I do something wrong?" Lauren asked, still working on catching her own breath as well. She couldn't understand why Bo cut them off.

"No, no. It was —" Bo paused, biting her lower lip, "— it was amazing. It just took me by surprise is all."

Lauren seemed to take the admission as another invitation, so she leaned forward to pick up right where they left off. But this time, Bo backed her face away before their lips could meet. A flash of hurt passed over Lauren's face at the simple action.

"Did you not want to…?" Lauren trailed off, unable to even finish the end of her question. "I mean, if you didn't, I would understand. I know that I'm not exactly ideal for you —"

"Don't say that." Bo shook her head and gave Lauren's shoulders a gentle squeeze.

"Did I just misread everything then?" she asked in an even smaller voice.

Bo knew that she and Lauren had been toeing a tenuous line recently. Since Bo had known her, it had been Lauren that was the more reserved of the two when it came to advancing their relationship — or whatever it was they had. Bo had been the instigator in many ways, mostly with how she mercilessly flirted and made herself constantly available. She did enjoy the close friendship she'd made with Lauren, but the other side of that relationship, the more romantic side, was always a distant possibility with Lauren — so distant that Bo would have needed a telescope to properly see it. One reason Bo enjoyed toying with Lauren so much was that it never _was_ a distinct possibility; otherwise, she would have felt guilty about it.

Part of Bo's nature wanted her to pursue those things with Lauren, without a doubt. The one factor that always kept Bo from moving forward was Lauren's situation. The succubus didn't have a problem with Lauren's position in the Fae world; she'd long since stopped caring about the old laws that some Fae were so dead set on following. But she had no way of knowing how conflicted Lauren would be about her own situation. The Fae ruined Lauren's life, and no matter how charming Bo was, she would be a constant reminder to the doctor of that one time everything in her life went wrong.

"You didn't," Bo assured her.

"Then why did you stop?"

"It's complicated."

The words seemed to cause some sort of change in Lauren. The hurt and tentativeness went away, replaced by a look of resolve. "Things are always going to be complicated, Bo," Lauren said. "For both of us, even if we stay apart. You're one of the Fae leaders, and I'm a human slave. Our lives are complicated by design, and nothing that we do — or don't do — is going to change that." Lauren pulled Bo closer with her arms wrapped around Bo's waist, and the brunette didn't resist. "Life is too short."

Bo blinked several times. "Do you really want this?" she whispered.

Lauren raised her eyebrows at Bo. "Do _you_?" she asked.

Bo realized at that moment that she had never been so _wanted_ by anyone else. People lusted after her body on a regular basis, and while she could tell Lauren was a tremendous fan in that regard, there was more to her attraction than the mere fact that Bo was a succubus. Otherwise, Lauren's aura wouldn't have gotten brighter at Bo's last question.

With one small nod of Bo's head, Lauren's eyes came to life. They sparkled in that familiar fashion, like stars, and Bo gasped again when Lauren started leaning forward. This time, it was more slow, more controlled. Bo had time to register what was going on, and she didn't pull away, though she did cause Lauren to pause with her words.

"What are you doing?" Bo asked, causing Lauren to halt mere inches away.

"I don't know yet." Lauren's voice was barely audible. "Just let me." She paused a few moments before leaning in for a second attempt.

Bo allowed the movement this time, and their lips came together again, far softer than they did initially. Bo was finally able to fully appreciate the feeling of Lauren's lips moving slowly against hers. The sensation was intoxicating and slightly dizzying — but in the best way possible. Together they allowed the pace to gradually build, and Bo allowed the tip of her tongue to gently caress Lauren's upper lip, earning a low moan from the doctor.

Something about hearing a moan from the usually composed woman made something inside Bo snap. She wound her hands on Lauren's shoulders so that they were completely encircling her back, but the sweater kept frustrating her. They had each other pulled closely so that their bodies were flush against one another, yet it still somehow wasn't close enough. When Bo felt Lauren's tongue meet her own, the need for more contact became almost unbearable, and she shifted their bodies to push Lauren's backside hard into the counter top. The surprise move broke their kiss for an instant, but it also gave them the opportunity to shift their interests to other areas.

Lauren allowed her hands at Bo's back to drift underneath the hem of her shirt. Bo closed her eyes and focused on the soothing sensation, but she knew she wasn't going to be able to maintain her control if she continued for too much longer.

"Lauren, please," Bo was practically begging, and she didn't even care. She only hoped that the look she was giving the blonde conveyed everything she was feeling in that moment.

"Are you sure?" The doctor's hands stilled in their movements. There was obvious desire behind her words, but Lauren made it clear: she was giving Bo an out if she wanted one… But Bo didn't want one.

"I'm sure… Please…"

Lauren didn't need to be told twice. She pushed herself away from the counter and grabbed Bo's hand, pulling the overexcited succubus along behind her towards the stairs. Bo wasn't going to let her reach the top that easily, despite the fact that it made their ascent slower. She felt the need to have her lips in constant contact with Lauren's body while they climbed together. They both nearly tripped, more than once, but it didn't deter them at all. When they reached the flat surface of the landing, Bo wasted no time peeling off Lauren's sweater and flinging it back down the stairs. Lauren returned the favor and tugged Bo's tight shirt free.

Both of them stood momentarily mesmerized by the sight of each other. It was Bo that stepped forward first, placing her hands on the bare skin of Lauren's abdomen. The muscles tightened at her touch, and Bo could feel their definition easily beneath her smooth skin. The feeling made Bo giddy with anticipation. She needed to touch Lauren more, see more of her. Before long, the rest of their clothes were discarded and left abandoned on the landing.

Lauren pulled them back into her bedroom, collapsing them both onto the bed and pulling Bo up on top of her. She leaned up to press a long, lingering kiss on Bo's mouth, which was happily returned. Lauren could have been content with just this, laying naked with each other's bodies pressed together, but she craved more, and so did Bo. The doctor reached forward to push Bo's wavy hair from her eyes and slowly let her hand drift from Bo's hair down to the space between her breasts. Bo's eyes fluttered shut at the contact, and she propped herself on a single elbow to take Lauren's wandering hand in her own, holding it in the tiny space between their bodies.

Bo opened her eyes and frowned when the pads of her fingers brushed across the raised marks of Lauren's scar. She allowed her fingers to trace the simple pattern for a few moments before she looked back up to Lauren. The blonde was looking down at their hands, averting her gaze.

The mark was something that Kenzi went to great lengths to hide, especially around strangers, and there was no doubt that Lauren felt the same way about it. The brand was designed to be a public display, both for practical reasons and for the shame of the bearer. Bo gripped Lauren's wrist firmly, causing their brown eyes to meet each other.

"Lauren, nobody owns you," Bo said. Her tone was so full of absolute conviction that it caused the doctor's throat to constrict from the emotion.

All Lauren could do was nod and bring Bo's hand up to kiss the inside of her palm. Bo shut her eyes to fully appreciate the sensation, but they flew open again when Lauren began to pull her hand further south. The backs of her fingers grazed the entire length of Lauren's abdomen, and she gasped once she reached the apex of her thighs. Lauren pushed her thigh up between Bo's legs, touching her most sensitive areas. Reflexively, Bo pushed her body down, and the amount of pleasure she got from it took her by surprise. She let out a moan as she pressed down again. Lauren starting moving with her, matching her rhythm to give her more friction.

Bo kept moving and slid her wandering hand further down between Lauren's legs. Her hand plunged into wetness, and Lauren's back arched off the bed in response, though she still managed to keep pace with Bo. The succubus watched her reactions, fascinated by the how responsive Lauren was to her touch. She could have simply watched Lauren like this all night, but Bo knew that she wouldn't be able to last long before she came, and she was determined that Lauren go first.

So Bo wasted no time teasing Lauren any further. Her fingers slipped inside easily, and Lauren's arms went around Bo's back, gripping herself hard against the succubus' body. Any potential space was eliminated between them, and for the first time, it allowed Bo to also generate a pleasant friction against her breasts as well. She focused all her spare energy into the hand between Lauren's legs, curling her fingers expertly against her inside walls. The short gasps with each thrust told Bo that she was hitting the right spots.

Whether it was the buildup they had prior to reaching the bed or Bo's natural skills, it didn't take much longer for Lauren to reach her climax. Bo could sense it coming by her aura, but she could also feel Lauren's walls tightening against her fingers. With just a few more thrusts, Lauren went completely over the edge. Her entire body tensed, and the with the sight of it, Bo came only seconds later. She cried out and buried her face in the side of Lauren's neck while her body convulsed, slowly riding out the last of her orgasm.

Lauren's arms were still securely wrapped around Bo's body. When the brunette regained her senses, she registered the doctor dragging her hands idly up and down the entire length Bo's back. It felt comforting even though her sensations were ultra heightened at the moment. Bo allowed herself to roll over so that she and Lauren were in a side by side embrace.

"I just…" Lauren seemed at a loss for words. "Wow."

"Epic," she agreed. Bo giggled at the doctor's simple choice of word. "I don't think I've ever seen you struggle so much with your words, doc."

Lauren gave her a mischievous look, and in the blink of an eye, she had their positions flipped. Bo was pinned down on the bed by her wrists — though she didn't seem the slightest bit upset about it. She was already primed for another round, and would go as long as Lauren let her.

Fortunately, they had all night.

* * *

_**Author's notes:**__ I was super apprehensive about the sex scene, especially as it was my first one to ever write. They're surprisingly difficult even if you have a pervy mind, like myself. On one hand, they need to be enticing, but on the other hand, they still need to maintain a certain narrative feel. It's a hard balance to find when you're writing one, as I've recently learned. This last scene probably got rewritten three different times. I hope it met your expectations. :)_


	14. A Fair Trade

Trick spent days pouring over Lauren's notes from the autopsy report. By now, he'd memorized every minute detail, but he still kept sifting through them, willing them to change. They didn't.

Many years ago, Trick made a mistake, he now realized. The circumstances surrounding his wife's death were not what he originally thought, and he sentenced an innocent man to a life of imprisonment. Granted, Trick knew the person in question to be a thorn in the side of most Light Fae (and a healthy portion of Dark Fae also), but it still didn't change the fact that the ruling was false.

A sudden knock on his study door roused Trick from his musings. The blood king glanced up, surprised by the intrusion this early in the morning.

"Come in," he called out through the closed door. The handle clicked open and the visitor inched the door forward slowly, making it creak on its hinges. "Dr. Lewis," Trick said, surprised to see her, of all people. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, nothing is wrong." The doctor writhed her hands together in front of her. "I wanted to make a formal request. I didn't know what the procedure was, so…"

Trick frowned in confusion. "What is it that you want?"

He didn't typically entertain the requests of his humans or his prisoners, but Lauren was a unique acquisition. Her training and education had already proved beneficial, and he wanted to make use of that as long as possible. If that meant that he allowed some of her requests now an then, so be it. As long as they were within reason, Trick didn't see the justification in denying her everything. It was purely a practical business decision on his part.

"As you know, I'm helping Bo with her thrall, particularly how she overcame it," Lauren said. Trick nodded in response; none of this was news to him. "I had a theory about how I could counteract the effects, and I believe that you might have something that could help me."

Trick's eyebrows raised. "Oh?" He tried to keep his tone subdued to only a polite interest, though he instantly sat up straighter in his desk chair. "And what might that be?"

Lauren took a deep breath and held it for a moment. "The elixir. Bo said you had a steady supply of it on hand, and I was wondering if I could —"

"Out of the question." The doctor was silent for several moments, clearly taken aback by Trick's adamant refusal.

"With all due respect, I realize that you may not completely trust Bo's motivations yet, but I can assure you, she doesn't intend to take your entire collection away from you. She just wants to help her friend Kenzi, and —"

"I could care less about the runaway. She has chosen her side, and she will have to live with the consequences." The bitterness in voice belied his words, and Lauren could tell that he was still carrying some resentment over the young girl's actions.

"If you let me to help her with this, it could allow for you to have a loose alliance with Bo. It would only help your relations, and that's what you want to go up against Aife," Lauren said, trying to make Trick see reason. "I understand your anger, but I would have thought that someone in your position wouldn't have made shortsighted decisions purely out of spite."

Trick propped his elbows on the desk and folded his hands in front of him. "Have you ever heard of the concept of bluffing, Dr. Lewis?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at Lauren.

"I have."

"Then tell me what you've heard about this elixir of mine."

Lauren recited the entirety of what she learned from the books, plus what Bo taught her: "Panacea's elixir is a curative solution to nearly all of the sicknesses afflicting the people in the world. Panacea first created it over three millennia ago, and I understand that you are one of the last Fae to own any appreciable amount. Bo tells me that you have a steady supply as a defense against her and her mother."

"Nearly all true," Trick said in a complimentary tone. "Firstly, the elixir protects _Fae_ from nearly all of their ailments. It is known to actually be fatally toxic to humans. And secondly, the last part that you heard from Bo is the bluff."

Lauren frowned. "I don't understand."

Trick pulled out his desk drawer and pulled out a tiny blue glass vial, setting it gently on the desktop. "This is the only elixir left in the entire world — at least that I'm aware of," he said. "There is barely enough for one Fae, let alone an entire army of rebels."

"You wanted to make them think you were more protected than you actually were…"

"That's generally the point of a bluff." Trick shrugged his shoulders, and looked at Lauren seriously. "You need to understand that Aife and Bo have numerous advantages against us: resources, numbers, and facilities. I had the opportunity to make them believe there was one area that we had a sizable advantage, so I took it."

Lauren's mind was reeling. When she first heard of the elixir, she immediately thought of Kenzi, but now, not only was there not enough of it, it would also be poison to the thralled human.

"I can make more," Lauren said.

Trick shook his head. "With all due respect, Dr. Lewis, many druids and wizards have tried to duplicate what Panacea made all those years ago, and none of them have been successful. I'm not inclined to simply give away my last remedy on another failed experiment."

"I'm no charlatan or witchdoctor," Lauren said firmly, bristling at Trick's casual assumption of her incompetence. "I don't intend to simply mix random ingredients together until I get something that mildly resembles what's in that vial. When I say I can make more, I mean that I have the ability to properly analyze the structure and synthesize more in a controlled lab." Lauren watched his reaction carefully. "Provided I had access to the proper equipment," Lauren added as an afterthought.

Lauren watched Trick's reaction carefully, looking for any signs that he was considering her proposal. But his unreadable expression was well practiced, even rivaling her own, and she had to wait for his verbal response. His drawn out silence was maddening.

"Hypothetically speaking," Trick spoke slowly, not committing to any decision yet, "If I gave you this, could I have your guarantee that you would not say a word about it being the last of my supply? Regardless of whether or not your little experiment works?"

"Hypothetically speaking… You would have my word."

Trick picked up the vial gently from his desk, turning it over several times in his hands as if inspecting it. Lauren didn't know what it was he was looking for, but it apparently was satisfactory. He sat it back down and pushed it toward Lauren.

"Don't waste this. You would not like the consequences if you did," he told Lauren. When you need to use the lab, you may call Hale. He'll unlock it for you."

Lauren nodded, managing to suppress her sudden desire to smile. It would have been terribly inappropriate in this situation. "Thank you, sir."

"Just don't disappoint me."

* * *

"That was Trick," Dyson said, clicking his phone shut. He took a quick drink from his beer, finishing off the rest of the bottle. His partner only looked mildly interested and was too busy aiming her next shot.

_Eight ball, corner pocket_.

Tamsin's pool cue shot forward, executing the move perfectly. The black ball ricocheted off the side walls twice, skillfully avoiding the others, before slowly rolling into the corner pocket at the far end of the table. The valkyrie had hustled him again, and she strolled froward to collect her winnings. Most people would have just held their hands out, but Tamsin just reached in Dyson's back pockets — none too gently — and pulled out the bills herself.

"And what did his highness want now?" Tamsin asked, counting out her cash. She was no fan of the blood king, but there were no other options at the moment — except for Aife and Bo. Tamsin merely tolerated him for this fact, as most people were well aware.

"He didn't say. He just wanted us to come over."

The rebels' main force had long since stopped frequenting the Dal Riata as their usual hangout. Ever since the first unfortunate day when Bo thralled an entire bar full of people, they'd chosen a different venue. The lower rank and file rebels still occasionally ventured out to the Dal, but Dyson, Tamsin, and Hale didn't dare show their faces there anymore unless they had to. Most times they split their time between an old underground Dark Fae bar and a Light Fae pub. There were no more limitations on the clientele due to the takeover, so Dyson and Tamsin could both enjoy a drink at the Kingmoor Pub despite the fact that Tamsin was formally aligned with the Dark.

"That's not very promising," Tamsin said. "But I guess it gets you out of another ass kicking. I think that five hundred year retirement plan of yours is just about gone."

"Let's go," Dyson said, ignoring the jab. Tamsin did manage to beat him ninety percent of the time, but he was nowhere near going broke because of it. "I'll drive. Last time I let you behind the wheel you nearly drove both of us off a cliff."

"Only because you can't navigate worth a damn," Tamsin shrugged.

"You almost ran over an old man!"

"Ah, but I didn't." Tamsin hung her pool cue on the wall, and waited for Dyson to make a move to leave. "Are we going or what?"

"Let's go. The sooner we get this over with, the better."

Tamsin smirked. "And for once, we actually agree on something."

Dyson and Tamsin's drive to the Dal Riata was full of pointless bickering, as was their usual mode of interaction. Neither one of them had any idea as to what Trick wanted from them, however. Of the two of them, Tamsin had the more absurd predictions. Neither one was completely right, but they would later find out that Tamsin's ideas were in reality much closer to the truth than were Dyson's… Utterly absurd.

Dyson knocked on the familiar door to Trick's study, and opened it when the blood king beckoned them inside. The wolf's nostrils flared when he first entered. The human doctor had been here not even an hour ago, and he had no idea what the occasion for that was. He just hoped it was unrelated to Trick's request now.

"Please, sit," Trick said, motioning to the chairs in front of his desk. The two Fae followed his instructions, though Tamsin moved much more slowly than Dyson did. "I have a job for the two of you."

"What is it?" Dyson asked.

"It's a sensitive topic," Trick looked away from the both of them for a moment. "What I _can_ tell you is that I am in need of a prisoner, and I need you to retrieve him for me."

Tamsin and Dyson exchanged quizzical looks with each other. Their prisoners were kept in the old Dark Fae dungeons. The old dungeons were separate from the Dark Fae compound, which Aife currently had control over. Tamsin still owned one of the two sets of keys, and it was odd that Trick summoned them both in his office for a task that he could have asked the blonde to do over the phone by herself.

"Is there something I'm missing here?" Tamsin said. "If you just needed a prisoner, why not just ask? I could have brought him straight here myself."

Trick pressed his lips tightly together for a moment. "That's because the prisoner that I need isn't at our dungeon's. He's at the old Light Fae dungeons."

Tamsin turned to face Dyson and threw up her hands. "It's official. He has officially lost his fucking mind. Either that or he wants both of us dead. I can't really decide which."

"This is no laughing matter," Trick scolded Tamsin for her outburst. "He has information that I need, and he my only option at present. You will retrieve him, or I will have you working as second-assist to the cleaners."

Both Dyson and Tamsin turned their noses up in disgust at the alternative. They'd heard horror stories from Fae that were sentenced to assisting the cleaners as punishment. It was disgusting and smelly work, but the worst part was having to repeatedly hear what a wonderful meal you'd make while working. Even the Akvans maintained a higher status than the regular Fae working with the cleaners. Neither of them wanted to subject themselves to that punishment, and their silence was telling.

"That's what I thought," Trick said. "Now, can I safely assume that you are both on board?"

"Yes," Dyson said.

Tamsin didn't say anything, but she gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. It was a satisfactory reply for the blood king, apparently.

"Good," Trick nodded. "The prisoner that I need is named Vex." He looked directly at Tamsin. "I trust you've heard of him."

Tamsin scoffed. "Gangly looking, pervy little shit who's a complete pain in my ass? Yeah, I've heard of him."

"You are going to retrieve him for me."

Dyson and Tamsin stared at Trick dumbfounded for a moment. When they finally recovered from the initial shock, they both looked at each other in pure disbelief. Neither could believe the task they'd just been asked to do. Vex was on Aife's property, and the window for rescue attempts had long since passed. They understood it to be a suicide mission.

"It can't be done," Dyson said. "The entire place is overrun. There's no way we could sneak in unnoticed."

Trick shook his head at Dyson's suggestion. "I'm well aware of the situation at the old Light compound. You won't be able to have Vex removed without Aife knowing about it."

At least Trick wasn't about to have them try something they knew to be impossible. Dyson frowned as he thought about what Trick could possibly be implicating, not understanding how they could get Vex out of the dungeons if they couldn't sneak inside. He'd worked with the Light Fae for centuries; there was only one way in and out of the dungeons, and if Aife knew of their presence they wouldn't be able to reach it. Tamsin caught on to Trick's actual plan much sooner.

"So let me get this straight," Tamsin said shortly. She leaned forward and fixed an accusing glare at Trick. "You want us to just show up on that crazy bitch's front porch, knock on the door, and then what? _Ask_ her if she'd be so kind as to hand over one of her prisoners to us?"

Trick forced his voice to remain calm in the face of Tamsin's increasing agitation. "It's not quite that simplistic, but that's the general gist, yes."

Dyson said: "Trick, she wouldn't even let us get to the door before she had us swarmed and killed by —"

"She won't." Trick shook his head. "Aife knows who you both are. If you came onto her property, the only way she'd let you die is if she did it herself. She wouldn't let the opportunity pass to drain you both dry. That makes you relatively safe from her thralls, at least. They might try to capture you and take you to Aife, but they wouldn't kill you."

"Am I supposed to be comforted by that?" Tamsin rolled her eyes.

Trick ignored the comment. "Take the Koushang. Find out what she wants in return for Vex. Make sure that she understands that I'm willing to make a deal for his exchange, and once you find out what she wants, come back. She'll leave you alone if by being alive, you can give her something she wants. Use that." A long, uncomfortable silence hung in the study as Trick's proposal registered with both of them.

"Yes, sir. I'll do it." Dyson said resolutely.

Trick turned his attention to Tamsin, who seemed to be struggling with the same words. "Tamsin?" he asked. "What do you say?"

The valkyrie sat still for a moment, but when she first spoke, it wasn't to Trick, but rather to the wolf sitting next to her: "If something happens to me, I want you to make sure someone gets rid of the box under my bed. Don't open it —" she clarified, "— just make sure nobody ever sees it."

Dyson was clearly confused by the instruction, but he nodded nonetheless.

Tamsin was mollified, and she turned back to Trick. "Against all my better judgment… Yes," she said. "I'll go."

* * *

If looks could kill, Hale would have been dead twenty times over.

Fortunately for him, Bo agreed to sit in the back seat with Lauren. Otherwise, he would have been within easy throttling distance. As it was, Bo kept Lauren held close to her as she stared daggers at the siren into the rear view mirror. The silence was tense, and all passengers in the car were too tense to say anything. It was an uncomfortable thirty minutes, but eventually Hale pulled the car into the same familiar empty lot that Lauren had been dropped off at days previously.

As soon as the sedan was thrown into park, Bo went to throw the door open, only to be frustrated by the child locks in place in the back seat. She let out a grunt of frustration.

"Open the doors," she growled at Hale, who ignored her.

"It's the same routine as last time," Hale said to Lauren. "Alarms are on every door, so don't try to make a run for it. And call when you're done, so I can lock the place up."

Lauren nodded. "I understand."

Hale was satisfied by the doctor's response. Lauren realized that much of his demeanor had changed last time when he realized that she wasn't going to try and run or be difficult with the process. It was a natural reaction, Lauren realized, but it wouldn't have done her much good.

He reached to his electronic controls on the driver's door and pushed a button. The sound of the locks in the back seat clicked, and at hearing the sound of the unlocked doors, Bo scrambled to get out as fast as she could. But instead of running away from the car, she simply hurried to the other side to open the door for Lauren.

"Thanks, Bo," Lauren said with a blush. Bo had been doting on her all day, and even in the awkward circumstances, she was still being just as attentive.

Bo wound her arm around Lauren's waist and led her away from the car. "You're welcome." They'd barely taken three steps toward the door when she turned back around to glare at Hale one last time. "Why isn't he going away?" she grumbled.

Lauren put her hand on Bo's soothingly. "He's just staying until we get inside. He's not coming with us."

The answer seemed to please Bo immensely, and she picked her pace up as she headed toward the door. The promise of being alone once they reached inside was appealing. Bo wasn't going to waste a moment longer being outside. She threw the thick metal door open, pulling them both inside as quickly as humanly possible. The door slammed shut under its own weight, and Bo immediately pressed Lauren up against it and buried her under an onslaught of kisses. They were needy, desperate almost, and Lauren had to break them apart when the need for air became too much.

"You okay?" she asked Bo. The doctor pushed a few stray strands of hair away from Bo's face.

Their conversation this morning was cut short because of Hale showing up at her place unfortunately early. Lauren wasn't going to discuss her plans in the car in the siren's presence, so she'd been forced to wait. Bo clearly didn't do well with waiting, and she didn't handle not knowing what was going on well either.

Bo nodded and reached up to grasp Lauren's hand, pressing a kiss on her open palm. "I'm much better now." She didn't let Lauren go until she'd placed another soft peck on her lips. "Do you plan on telling me what this is all about?"

The semi-dark hallway was a familiar sight to Lauren, but not to Bo. Lauren doubted she was even aware the place was an old chemical plant, as there were no obvious markings on the outside of the building.

"I'll explain in a minute," Lauren assured her. "Let me show you first."

Bo slackened the pressure against Lauren's body, allowing her to remove her back from the door. Lauren took Bo's hand and led her down the dark hallway. She'd made an inventory of the place last time she was here; it took her nearly half an hour to find the proper equipment for her last session, so she'd stumbled across numerous other labs in the process. The one she needed today was only halfway down the long hallway. Lauren pushed the swinging door open and stepped inside, flicking the bright fluorescent lights on.

Bo followed her inside, wide-eyed at the unfamiliar place. "Wow… What is this place?" Her eyes darted from one location to the next, trying to take in all the sophisticated equipment stocked in the room.

"It's a lab."

The edges of Bo's lips turned up into a small grin. "Okay, genius, I figured that one out for myself," she chuckled. "Why is nobody else here?"

"From what I gather, Trick bought the place."

"Why?"

"He didn't say, actually." Lauren frowned. "If I had to make a guess — and this is purely speculative — it's that it would be easier to ship Fae artifacts if they were under the cover of hazardous materials packaging."

"Huh," Bo said, taking a few steps toward the doctor. "And what kind of hazardous materials are we talking about here?" It amazed Lauren how Bo managed to make even the most benign statements sound so seductive.

Lauren's throat constricted, but she managed to get out: "Well, it can be any number of things, but the determination really depends on what chemicals are present in the waste. Toxic, corrosive, or reactive substances have to be packaged as hazardous materials, and there's a whole list of ones that fit that description — methyl fluoroacetate, sulfur pentafluoride, diacetyl peroxide…" Lauren kept reciting her list, but stopped abruptly. "Bo are you okay?"

Bo was breathing heavily and had closed her eyes at some point during Lauren's spiel. When she opened them, they were glowing bright blue. Lauren gasped at the sight.

"Bo? Are you—"

Lauren didn't get a chance to finish her sentence. Bo bombarded her with a kiss again, this time even more insistent and rougher than the first. It caused Lauren to backtrack just to remain upright, and she had to grab Bo's shoulder's for support. The succubus' hands were roaming wildly over Lauren's body. Both of them were completely lost to what they were doing until Lauren's back hit a large metal tank at the far edge of the room. The impact made their lips jolt apart and both of them were breathing heavily.

The doctor's eyes fluttered open slowly, and they were met with Bo's regular dark brown ones. They still had the same look of intensity, but it was less predatory somehow.

"Say that last one again," Bo begged her. "Please."

"Methacryloyloxyethyl Isocyanate?" Bo closed her eyes again at the mention of the compound, and a low groan emanated from her chest. It was a familiar sound, one that the doctor heard multiple times last night. Lauren shook her head in amusement. "Out of everything in the world, _that_ turns you on?"

"I told you, I'm a fan of the geek speak… big, big fan."

"Hmm…" Lauren made a mental note to file that tidbit of information away for use again later; it almost certainly would come in handy. "If that gets you going, wait until you find out why we're here."

Bo grinned. "You have my complete and undivided attention."

"I went to see Trick today," Lauren said. Bo's grin disappeared, and she stiffened at the mere mention of him, which wasn't entirely unexpected. "It's not what you think," Lauren placated. "He didn't summon me. I went to the Dal to ask him for something that I could use to help Kenzi, and he gave me this." Lauren pulled out the blue glass vial from her pocket and held it out in her hand.

Bo picked it up reverently, turning it over several times as if inspecting it closer would give her answers. "Panacea's elixir… He gave you this?" Her voice was tight, and Lauren couldn't tell what the emotion was behind it.

"Sort of." Bo looked confused at Lauren's answer, so she explained: "This won't help Kenzi by itself, and this is all that Trick would allow me to have." Lauren silently apologized for the half truth. "But I believe I can make more just like this — and make it safe for her to use."

Bo stared at the tiny vial she held in her hands for a moment. When she looked back up to Lauren, her eyes were slightly glassy. "You're amazing."

"I know."

"Seriously Lauren… Thank you."

"You're welcome," the doctor grinned. "But if I were you, I would hold off on the thanks until you've seen what I have planned for you today. I'm about to put you to work. I hope you're ready for it."

"That sounded kind of dirty."

Lauren laughed. "Do you ever, you know, _shut off_?"

"Nope. I am on one hundred percent of the time. Get used to it, Doc."

_Two can play this game,_ Lauren thought. "Well then, if you want to keep the geek speak coming, I'd suggest you work extra hard then."

Bo smiled widely. "Nobody will work harder for geek speak than Bo Dennis."

* * *

"I get the necklace this time," Tamsin argued from the passenger's seat.

She and Dyson were parked a solid block away from the entrance to the old Light Fae compound, and they still hadn't decided on who was doing what yet. Tamsin insisted on getting the necklace so Dyson could do the talking, while Dyson suggested the exact opposite. They'd been arguing the same points for at least thirty minutes, trying to stall the actual task at hand as long as possible.

"How about whoever talks to her gets the necklace?" Dyson finally suggested.

"That would —"

"Be completely fair," the wolf finished for her. "So you can have the Koushang, but that means you have to talk to Aife." He sat back in seat and smirked, looking satisfied at finally having devised a way to compromise in their limited circumstances.

"She gives me the creeps," Tamsin shuddered.

"Then I'll talk to her. But I get the Koushang."

Dyson could practically see the gears turning in Tamsin's head, trying to weigh the risk-benefit ratio in her mind. He was certain that she was going to refuse the necklace on account of having to talk to the succubus, but Tamsin surprised him.

"Give me the fucking necklace," Tamsin said abruptly.

The Koushang was cradled in Dyson's hand, but he pulled it away further from Tamsin instead of handing it to her. "Ask nicely," he replied with a grin.

"Give me the fucking necklace or I will neuter you with a pair of rusty garden shears," she snapped. "How's that?"

With Tamsin, it was difficult to tell if she was joking sometimes. Once she threatened to tear a spriggan's arms off and beat him with the soggy ends… and later that evening, she'd done just that. Granted, he was an old enemy, and he double crossed her, but still… that image was enough to make Dyson take her threats seriously from then on. He was rather attached to that particular part of his body, so he quickly held out the necklace for her to take.

"Now do me a favor," Tamsin said as she fasted the chain behind her neck. "If at any point you feel the urge to say something stupid… then _don't_. In fact — it's probably just best if you just didn't say anything."

"You know I've met Aife before, right."

Tamsin's lips pressed together. "I'm well aware. Which is why you need to keep your mouth shut. Now let's go."

The main entrance to the light Fae compound was completely obvious to any passerby, though no human was allowed to enter unless they bore a clan's brand. There was a high stone wall around the entire facility, which extended all the way until the gated opening. Though it would be heavily guarded, any Fae would still be free to enter. They walked through the gates and into the long courtyard. The stone wall continued inward, flanking them on either side.

"Don't look up," Tamsin muttered.

Of course Dyson looked up. There were turrets at intervals along the stone wall with collections of armed guards stationed at each. Even the parapets between stations had sentries on watch. If this went badly, there was no way — except by a miracle — that he and Tamsin would make it out unscathed. And that was just with Aife's soldier's that were above eye level.

Tamsin sighed. "You must not hear very well, huh?"

"My hearing is excellent," Dyson said.

"Then you just don't listen. And that's ten times worse."

There was a certain sick thrill from walking along the entrance like Dyson and Tamsin were doing. Their bodies were tense, preparing for a shot that might come their way at any moment unannounced. Any sound from a passing bird, or and distant sound from a car on the street made their muscles bunch even tighter in anticipation of a shot that never came. They reached the heavy front doors untouched and undisturbed.

"You ready?" Dyson asked.

Tamsin didn't reply; she simply reached forward and lifted the huge cast iron door knocker from its resting place. The squeaking of the hinges was loud, but the reverberations from the impact were nearly deafening. The sound rang against the stone walls, and echoed through the entire entranceway. There was not a human or Fae alive in the compound that wasn't alerted to their presence after that.

Dyson was more familiar with the inner layout than Tamsin was. Beyond this huge door, there was a simple hallway that led to the stone arcade. The Ash's and high elder's living quarters were on either side, and Dyson would have bet his life savings that Aife had taken over the old Ash's quarters. That meant she would be there about two minutes after the knock…

At two minutes, five seconds, the doors slowly swung open. Two of Aife's servants we present at either side, and she succubus wore an amused expression as she looked at the two visiting Fae.

"Ah, look at what we have here. Two young Jedi knights," Aife smiled sweetly. "Come to join the dark side?"

"We're here on behalf of Fitzpatrick McCorrigan," Dyson blurted. Tamsin elbowed him hard in the ribs but not before Aife's eyes flashed dangerously. The two Fae at her side visibly tensed as well, sensing her agitation.

"I see that the old hack Yoda still has _you_ wrapped around his little finger, Dyson. That's truly disappointing." Aife shook her head. "You know they say that wisdom comes with age, but that doesn't seem to be entirely true, does it?"

Dyson's nostrils flared at the insult against both Trick and himself. "The blood king is —"

"We're here to negotiate a deal — one that would benefit both sides," Tamsin interrupted him. She wasn't about to let Dyson get into a spat with Aife. Not here. Aife would have killed him easily on a regular day, but her life was at stake now too. If he pressed Aife too much, she would have simply had them both put down. Tamsin needed to let her know they came to make an offer to hopefully damper Aife's violent streak.

The succubus paused for a moment, considering Tamsin carefully. "What is it exactly that you're after?"

"We want the mesmer… Vex," Tamsin said, almost as if she had an unpleasant taste in her mouth. "What's your price?"

Aife's demeanor softened considerably at the mention of getting something she desired. She was pensive and quiet for a moment, but when she spoke again, Tamsin wished she hadn't.

"You," Aife said, looking directly at Tamsin. "You will stay here and join my side. I've never been much of a fan of the fairer sex, but my daughter would absolutely love another female companion. I don't keep enough of them around, I'm afraid."

"Absolutely not!" Dyson growled, and Aife scowled at him. Tamsin was appreciative of the gesture, but she wished he would keep his damned mouth shut.

"Is there another that you'd want? Surely there is someone more valuable than me that you would want on your side."

Aife narrowed her eyes at the two Fae on her doorstep. "As a matter of fact, there is," she mused, her eyes suddenly alight with interest. "I want Trick to return one of my soldiers he sent away — my best soldier. It's the only way I would consider your offer a fair trade."

The notion that Aife's deal was a fair offer was bullshit, Tamsin knew. In the scope of the war, Vex was a nonentity. He'd been locked up for centuries. Nobody knew what kind of state he was in or if his abilities even worked correctly anymore. Being locked up for that long did things to Fae, puzzling things, and Vex was imprisoned throughout the whole duration of the war. No doubt he was aware of the fact that his handler changed during his sentence, but for Vex, it probably didn't change the way he was treated at all. Aife's best soldier for a worn out old mesmer was a foolish trade to accept on Tamsin's part, and on normal circumstances, she would have declined. But today, the valkyrie didn't have much of a choice.

"Who is it? Your soldier?" Tamsin asked.

"His name is Rainer," Aife said with a smirk. "But you might know him better as 'The Wanderer.'"

* * *

Bo learned more science in a single day than she did in all her other years combined. Lauren explained first what she'd be doing: she was distilling the contents of the vial into their separate ingredients. The doctor put together some complicated set up and told Bo what buttons on the machines to press at certain intervals. Bo felt like she was contributing that way, but in reality she was simply watching the bubbles and the condensation collect on the glass tubing.

Mostly, it gave Bo an opportunity to be around Lauren in her natural environment. She enjoyed watching how excited the doctor got about science. Several times she even had to suppress her eyes from flashing blue again.

"Look…It's nearly done," Lauren pointed out.

She and Bo had already collected seven tubes of chemicals. Each ingredient was purified, and Lauren told Bo that tomorrow, she would start working on analyzing the structures. Bo wasn't sure what that meant yet, but she was sure Lauren would explain it to her like she did today.

It was only a couple of minutes later when the flask in the heater went dry. At that point, all of the elixir was distilled, and their work today was done.

"Where does all this stuff go anyway?" Bo asked, gesturing to all the glassware on the table. Lauren retrieved all their equipment earlier, so the brunette had no idea where to put it now.

"The pressure washers are at the end of the hall. Let's make sure all those flasks are cooled off, and I'll show you."

Bo grabbed an armful of the glass pieces, cradling them against her chest. Lauren took the rest, and they ventured to the end of the hall together. One by one, Lauren loaded each piece into the huge walk-in washer. Bo made sure to situate herself so that the doctor had no choice but to graze her breast with her hand on the last couple of items. Lauren definitely didn't seem too upset by Bo's antics. The doctor shut the door and sealed it shut with a giant lever on the outside.

"How come you've been here before?" Bo asked, frowning as Lauren turned back around. The confusion on her face told Lauren that she'd just realized something. "You know where all this stuff goes in this huge place, and Hale said that everything was 'just like last time.'"

Lauren blinked several times, knowing she wasn't allowed to broach the actual subject with Bo. "When came here last week, Trick had Hale show me around the place. I guess now that they have someone capable of actually using the chemicals sector, they wanted to get started as soon as possible."

"For ten hours?"

"To be honest, it really didn't seem that long," Lauren shrugged. She was able to keep her facial expression impassive, but on the inside, each word that came out of her mouth was painful. She was unprepared for how much it hurt to keep secrets from Bo. It became only slightly easier when she reminded herself that she was doing this for Bo's benefit; she wasn't about to set Trick against her as a sworn enemy.

"Huh," Bo mused. "I guess I could understand that… It didn't seem like we were here all day either. Who knew science could be so fun?"

Lauren actually let a chuckle, grateful for the reprieve from being reminded about the autopsy she'd performed last week. "Bo, you don't have to pretend like you were interested in what we were doing. It's fine if you weren't," Lauren assured her. "Unless they're like me, most people don't actually like spending the entire day cooped up in a stuffy lab anyways."

"Hey! I just like watching a professional at work." Bo bit her lip and stepped forward, invading Lauren's space. She'd become much more comfortable doing that lately. "And might I add how yummy you are when you're being all professional…"

A blush ran up Lauren's cheeks, and she was certain that Bo could sense the change in her aura. She swallowed thickly so that she was able to speak. "I don't have any idea what you're talking about."

Bo dipped her fingertips into Lauren's belt loops and used them to pull the doctor closer to her. Lauren's breath caught when their chests pressed together.

"I think you know _exactly_ what I'm talking about." Bo licked her lips, and watched Lauren's aura flare just a bit more.

Eventually, Bo couldn't take it anymore. For some reason, she'd been insatiable today when it came to the doctor. It might have had something to do with the fact that the pent up tension between them was relieving itself all at once, and they were acting on it accordingly. Or it might just be their baseline moving forward. But there was something about Lauren that Bo found utterly irresistible; she was a craving that the succubus couldn't seem to get enough of.

Lauren wasn't surprised by the force of Bo's kiss this time, though they instantly ended up against the wall. It was far easier to stay balanced when they were busy doing other things with their mouths and hands. Neither of them paid much attention to their feet, so the solid surface kept them from falling, at least.

Bo's mouth migrated away from Lauren's mouth, to her jawline and down her neck. Lauren didn't think anyone had ever kissed her there like that, and the sensation made her weak at the knees. Pretty soon, she wouldn't be able to hold her weight up even with the support of the wall. The blonde fumbled her hand behind her until it landed on a door knob. Without paying much attention, she twisted it, and the two of them stumbled inside until they hit a solid surface. It might have been a desk, Lauren thought somewhere in the recesses of her mind. She didn't see it though; her eyes were closed to the sensation of Bo's kisses.

There was a slight pause in the movements from Bo's mouth as her arms traveled down to the back of Lauren's thighs. The succubus hoisted her up onto the solid surface, and Lauren instantly felt the hard, unmistakable sensation of smooth metal on her backside. Her eyes flew open, and her chest started pounding once she realized where they were — and not in the pleasant way.

This was the same room where just last week Lauren had performed an autopsy on Ysabeau McCorrigan.

"Bo," Lauren breathed out frantically. "Bo, please stop for a minute."

Bo instantly pulled her mouth away from Lauren's neck, a worried expression on her face. "Is something wrong? Did I hurt you?" She looked around on the table to inspect it for anything that might have caused Lauren's sudden change in demeanor.

"No, you didn't do anything wrong." Lauren placed her hand gently on the side of Bo's cheek and stroked it with her thumb.

If Lauren felt guilty before, now she felt truly terrible. Bo hadn't done anything wrong, and in any other situation, Lauren wouldn't have stopped her. But they came into _this_ room. Under the same lights, Bo's face looked even more similar to Ysabeau's. It was too much for Lauren to handle at the moment. She needed to leave before she got any more upset than she already was.

"It's just this place," Lauren said. "I'm fine… I just need to get out of here."

Bo wouldn't know to make the connection to what was really going on because Lauren hadn't told her. Lauren _couldn't_ tell her. Another drawback to that secret was Bo clearly believing that what happened a moment ago was her fault. Lauren could tell by Bo's face that she was still blaming herself in some way.

"Are you sure?" Bo asked. She was looking down at the ground. "You know if I get to be too much, you can tell me, right?"

"Bo, look at me please?" Bo was slow to move, so Lauren lifted Bo's chin with her fingertip. "We will pick this up right where we left off when we get back, okay? I promise."

The brunette's eyes got a little brighter at that statement, and some of the hurt went away. "Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. We can do anything you want tonight."

Bo bit her lip, and one corner of her mouth twisted itself into a half grin. "Even that thing with your tongue from last night?" Bo asked.

"You're going to have to be a little more specific."

Bo quickly backed away from the exam table, pulling Lauren down from the metal surface. The doctor's knees were still a little wobbly from before, but she was able to stand on her own feet. Bo's arms were there for extra support, and Lauren kept one hand on them — just in case.

"You need to call Hale," Bo said. "And tell him to drive as fast as he possibly can. We've got some urgent plans to take care of."


	15. Limbo

Tamsin and Dyson rode back to the Dal Riata in complete silence, making it unlike any other car ride they ever shared together. Both of them seemed to realize how lucky they'd been that Aife let them pass unharmed. They'd offered her a healthy prize in hopes that she'd let them go, but there were never any guarantees with the unhinged succubus. Several minutes later, Dyson parked the car in front of the Dal so they could both report back to Trick.

Dyson stared straight forward, not even bothering to face the valkyrie. "You ready?" he asked Tamsin.

She reached behind her neck, moving her hair to the side as she unclasped the Koushang from around her neck. She pulled it from where it was tucked beneath her leather jacket and handed it back to Dyson.

"Yeah. Let's go," Tamsin said.

The Dal was unusually crowded despite the early afternoon hour, and the two Fae had to weave their way through the thick throng of patrons just to get to the staircase behind the bar. The hubbub from the crowd grew quieter as they descended. By the time they reached the bottom, it was only a dull murmur. As was custom, they knocked on the door and were invited inside by Trick.

"It's good to see you back so soon," Trick said from behind his desk, far more chipper than he'd been earlier. "Tell me what happened."

Dyson and Tamsin both pulled up their respective chairs from before.

"She's open to the idea," Dyson said slowly, as if he was considering his words carefully for once.

"And?" Trick beckoned. Dyson shot Tamsin an uncertain look, unsure of how to answer.

"She's named her price," Tamsin finished for the wolf. "She won't settle for anything less than than her best soldier. Though to be honest, we were just fortunate she didn't ask for more."

Trick's eyes narrowed at her. "Who is this soldier?"

"The Wanderer."

The blood king was taken aback by Aife's request, even more so than Dyson and Tamsin had been. He leaned back into his cushioned seat with a sigh. Neither Dyson nor Tamsin could accurately read his emotions; they were flashing quickly and changed within seconds. Trick was silent for several moments, quietly caressing the gold ring on his finger. He looked at it for a long moment before speaking again.

"I trust you both know who the Wanderer is then?" Tricked asked Dyson and Tamsin.

"I've heard of him from the early part of the war," Dyson answered. "But to be honest, I thought he'd been killed. He just disappeared, and nobody has heard even a whisper about him since."

The blood king shook his head. "He disappeared, yes — but he wasn't killed."

Tamsin gave him a pointed look and said: "From the way you're talking, it sounds like you had something to do with it. Explain." Her tone was demanding and accusing all at once. If she was going to risk her life for this prisoner exchange, she felt she had a right to know why.

"You have to understand," Trick pleaded, "It was the only way." It was well known amongst the Fae that he'd sworn off using his blood centuries ago. Trick making a blood oath didn't hold the same consequences as it did for other Fae, but it was still considered shameful for him to break his oaths — even if it didn't leech him of his abilities.

"Explain," Tamsin repeated, understanding that Trick had likely broken his own rules in order to banish Rainer.

Trick sighed deeply before beginning his long-winded explanation. "From what I can tell, he was Aife's first major Dark Fae contact when she was with the Light. She was younger then, and her abilities were just reaching their prime. She was also more headstrong than any of the Light Fae in the clan. She had all these new ideas, but she had no position with which to make her case. Aife and Rainer met purely by chance. He was a revolutionary as well and planted all sorts of ideas in her head. As a Dark Fae elder, he offered her things that the Light didn't, and it wasn't long after meeting him that she was ready to renege on her oath to the Light Fae.

"The most dangerous thing about Rainer wasn't the fact that he was a revolutionary — it was his power. He had the ability of foresight and hindsight, and if he so chose, he could both predict the future and revisit the past. It was an ominous skill set of course, but he was responsible with it when he was left to himself. There were situations where the future and the past ought not to be tampered with or divulged, and Rainer understood that. But Aife saw another potential in his abilities — something that could benefit her, but Rainer wouldn't allow it. So she thralled him to keep him close and forced him to abuse his abilities for her own interests.

"There's no telling what she found out about the past or future that drove her actions, but after she had Rainer firmly under her control, it was safe to say that she was virtually omniscient. She had the means to know everything in the world that had ever happened or had yet to happen. All she had to do was ask Rainer. It's how she demolished the clans early on; she knew their plans of attack and prepared accordingly. No one could possibly defeat her. She was essentially playing God. She had to be stopped, and there was no way to intervene with a tactical force.

"I would never use my abilities to kill," Trick made sure to clarify the point to both Dyson and Tamsin, who were listening with rapt attention. "But Rainer and Aife needed to be separated, and the only way to do that was to write it into existence. If I had Aife banished, he would still be here serving her interests, so I was forced to send Rainer away instead. Aife already formed an army of thralls so massive that the war had reached a tipping point anyway."

Dyson and Tamsin were silent for a minute, processing what Trick just told them.

"If you banished him, then where did he go?" Tamsin asked after the long pause.

Trick didn't verbally answer. Instead, he pulled out one of the large tomes from the shelf behind him, flipping through the pages to the last one with any writing on it. There were runes covering half the page, clearly penned in blood. Tamsin read the passage out loud, being fluent in the ancient language:

_Behold Rainer, the wanderer who sees All._

_In breaking the laws of space and time,_

_Shall henceforth be banished from this Earth,_

_Present in neither this life nor the hereafter._

"Present in neither this life nor the hereafter?" Dyson lifted his eyebrows. "That sounds pretty dead to me."

"If he were really dead, he would be in the hereafter," Tamsin corrected the wolf's assumption. "So that begs the question —" she turned to fix Trick with another penetrating stare, "— where is he, exactly? If you plan on sending us to get him, we have a right to know."

Trick avoided the valkyrie's stare and looked determinedly at his desk. "He is in the in-between — which is to say, _nowhere_." He sensed the questions that were about to come his way and explained further. "But you two might know it better as limbo."

* * *

Trick turned around to hide the liquid he was pouring into his ritual chalices. Thankfully, they were brass; the opaque material wouldn't allow Dyson or Tamsin to see what they would be drinking. But he couldn't do anything about the scent. Dyson knew what it was the moment the smell hit his nose.

"Trick, are you serious?" Dyson asked him. Trick poured the last of the second glass and swiveled back around with one chalice in each hand.

"It's the only way," Trick implored them. "If you want to move between planes and get to limbo, you have to drink this."

Dyson turned his nose up at the stuff. Tamsin didn't have the same astute sense of smell, so she was confused by his repulsion. She also couldn't see the contents of the cups either.

"It can't be any worse than that shitty beer they brew over at Kingmoor. Now _that_ tastes like rat piss," Tamsin said, dissing the Light Fae pub.

Dyson shook his head. "I wouldn't be so sure…"

Tamsin rolled her eyes, stepping forward to take one of the glasses from Trick. She glanced inside, twirling the red liquid around a few times in the glass. "So what is this stuff exactly?" she asked Trick. "You serving pinot noir here now?"

Trick's facial expression remained stoic. "It's gorgon blood."

The twirling glass stilled in Tamsin's hand, and her eyes grew wide. She hurried to put the glass back down on the tiny serving table as fast as possible, yet is still wasn't quick enough. She glared at the blood king as if he'd lost his mind.

"I think I'd rather drink the rat piss," Tamsin said.

"If you two don't retrieve Rainer, it would be very easy for Aife to target you personally. Now, her aim is to take down the whole rebel force, but you two by yourselves would make much easier marks."

Tamsin let out a derisive laugh. "And we have _you_ to thank for that!"

Dyson cut into the conversation again and asked Trick: "Even if we did get Rainer, what's stopping him from becoming exactly what he was last time? If he was too much trouble to keep here back then, wouldn't he cause the same problems now?"

Trick had actually considered this because it truly was a legitimate worry. If Rainer returned to Aife at his full strength, he would be the nail in the coffin for the rebel insurgence. Trick needed answers from Vex — badly — but he wasn't about to sabotage the entire movement for it. He would do anything to better his chances, but he wasn't about to foray headfirst into a certain failure without first minimizing the risk as much as he could.

"There's a way to temporarily temper his abilities," Trick explained. "It wouldn't be a permanent solution, but it would buy us time. We would have to eliminate the threat from him before he reached full power again."

"How long would that be?"

"It's hard to predict… Perhaps a few months?" Trick guessed. "It depends on the druid making the potion. It would give us a window in which we need to act, but it would be possible to defeat him and Aife as long as he wasn't at full force."

Dyson and Tamsin were silently contemplating the ramifications of both retrieving Rainer and not retrieving Rainer. Both would be dangerous for them, but one was an immediate threat, and one was further down the line.

Finally, one of them agreed. "I'll do it," Dyson said, breaking the silence. Both of their eyes turned to Tamsin to await her decision.

"Just so you know, I hate the both of you," she said shortly, though she held her hand out for the chalice.

Trick handed the chalices to the two Fae and watched as they choked down the gorgon blood. Their faces contorted into twisted visages of nauseousness, coughing when then finished to try and clear their palates of the taste. It was a horrid combination of pure bitterness and rancid rotting flesh, the kind of taste that would linger long after they washed their mouths out. Tamsin decided she would have taken rat piss a hundred times over rather than endure that again.

The blood king didn't give them the opportunity to complain. He instructed: "Now, to go through the portal, you need to repeat an incantation. To get back, you must repeat the same incantation. So it's very important that you get it right. Otherwise, you'll be stuck in limbo."

Tamsin was still trying to cough the horrible taste from her throat. "Well, we wouldn't want that now, would we Dyson?" she spluttered.

Trick ignored the smart comment, and recited the Latin incantation several times for both Dyson and Tamsin to listen. They didn't dare say it back yet until they had it mastered in their minds, lest they end up in limbo before they were ready. They might get stuck there when they couldn't recite it again. It took several minutes, but after a few times, both Dyson and Tamsin believed they had it memorized.

"You ready?" Dyson asked the valkyrie.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

They both recited together slowly: "Per sanguinem Gorgonis, educ me inter terrae."

Neither of them was prepared for what happened next. The worn wooden walls of Trick's study blurred around them, fading away into the purest white either of them had either seen. They had to squint until their eyes adjusted to the sudden change in environment. When they finally opened them again, they were amazed at what they saw… or rather, what they _didn't_ see.

The Dal Riata disappeared around them, yet nothing had replaced it. There was nothing but whiteness around them with no evidence of walls, a ceiling, or even floors. It was like a canvas with nothing painted on it. Tamsin and Dyson were merely floating around in a space with no discernible sense of direction and no sense of dimension. Tamsin glanced down at her feet uneasily, trying to understand how she was still standing when there was nothing beneath her feet to support her weight. Dyson, however, was more perturbed by the lack of smell.

"I knew you were coming," came a voice from behind them.

Tamsin and Dyson both spun around to see their second big surprise since arriving. Standing behind them was a figure that clearly had to be Rainer, but for some reason, he was completely naked. Tamsin's eyes widened, and she allowed them to drift down his body, taking in his shoulders, and his chiseled chest and abs. But before they drifted any lower, she was stopped by Dyson reaching over to shield her eyes. The valkyrie swatted his hand away with an annoyed expression.

"I also know that you've come to take me away," Rainer said. "But I don't know how long I've been here — perhaps you could tell me? Time moves differently in this place."

Time probably was a foreign concept in Limbo, Tamsin realized. Back in the real world, the passage of time was marked by sunrises, the world rotating around the sun — how things existed in relationship to each other at any given point. That change was measured as the passing of time, but there was literally nothing here except Rainer. He'd been here for several years without food, water, or access to more personal facilities. Yet he didn't appear dirty, and he didn't even appear malnourished.

"Five years," Dyson answered.

"I see."

Rainer stepped forward to approach them, and the wolf took several steps backward, putting some distance between himself and the naked man. He held his hands out to Tamsin, exposing the wrists as if he were waiting to be handcuffed.

"Why aren't you fighting?" Tamsin asked.

Rainer shrugged. "You're going to take me back in handcuffs. I won't be able to break free, and you will hold me hostage until you can arrange to have me sent back to my mistress. I've seen it. There is no sense in fighting the inevitable."

_What a depressing life he must lead_, Tamsin thought. She pulled her handcuffs out from the inside pocket of her leather jacket and slapped them on Rainer. Dyson was still standing several feet back with a wary expression.

"Dude. Do me a favor, and avoid talking about television shows, okay? You're like a walking spoiler alert." Tamsin shook her head.

"As you wish."

Tamsin kept a firm hold on Rainer's body despite the fact that he was more or less compliant. She shot a quick glance back at Dyson. "You planning on coming back, or what?" she asked.

"Whenever you're ready," Dyson said.

On Tamsin's count, they recited the incantation again, and the Dal slowly came back into focus. This time however, Rainer stayed put in Tamsin's grasp. Trick was apparently ready for their return; he had an afghan ready that he threw at Rainer's body the moment it materialized. Of course, Rainer saw it coming and caught it with his cuffed hands. Rainer squinted his eyes at Trick, as if reading all of his future plans.

"If you were planning on sending me to the dungeons, I don't know why you bothered to bring me back now," Rainer said. "Why not just leave me until you consulted with your druid?"

Trick ignored the question. "Dyson, could you take Rainer to a cell — and get him some pants on the way there?"

"Why me?" Dyson asked.

"Because I don't think any of Tamsin's pants will fit him, and I need her expertise elsewhere. Now go."

Dyson grabbed Rainer and skulked out of the bar. The afghan didn't quite cover all of Rainer's body, so a good portion of his ass was hanging out for the world to see as they left the Dal Riata. Even then, it was still far from the strangest thing to ever happen at the old waystation.

"What do you want now?" Tamsin asked the moment Dyson disappeared behind the door. She folded her arms across her chest in a defiant pose.

"You're one of the few that knows where Evony's hiding around these days," Trick explained. "She's always shown up whenever she wants to, but I need her now — or at least, I need to know where to find her son Massimo. Rainer is far too dangerous to set loose unless his abilities have been lessened."

"I haven't seen Evony in months. What makes you think I would know where she is now?"

"You know every old Dark Fae property she might be residing in, Tamsin. We need to find her. _You_ need to find her. If he stays in that dungeon too long, Aife's liable to storm the place, and if she gets him back before we're ready… Then all of us — including yourself — are as good as dead."

* * *

Bo had done more science in the past few days than she'd done in her entire life, and she'd come the conclusion that science was _exhausting_. After the first day with Lauren at the lab, the procedures only became more difficult. Lauren tried valiantly to explain what she was doing, but at the first mentions of mass spectrometry and x-ray crystallography, Bo's mind took a mini-vacation. It was sexy listening to Lauren talk about it, but she didn't understand a single word of what she was saying.

Lauren was busy at the moment working on some sort of complex calculation. There were lots of numbers and symbols that Bo didn't recognize, but all of it seemed to make perfect sense to Lauren, who continued to scribble out notes on her page. Bo watched in awe from the other end of the couch.

"You know, when you're thinking really hard about something, you get this adorable little wrinkle on your forehead," Bo said.

Lauren didn't glance up from her work, but a small grin came to her lips. "Oh really?"

"Uh huh. And then when you are having trouble figuring it out, your nose scrunches up too."

Lauren chuckled. "Okay, now you're just making stuff up."

"I am not!" Bo argued good naturedly. She leaned forward, putting her body closer to Lauren's. "I just happen to be very attentive is all. Very…" She leaned a bit closer, "very…" even closer still, "attentive." Bo was practically in Lauren's face now, and the blonde could no longer put her pencil against the paper. It hung paralyzed in midair as Lauren became too distracted to move it.

Things became much more fluid with them sexually over the past several days. Now that the initial hesitance was completely gone, both of them were more open to it whenever it struck their fancy. Lauren was the limiting factor in that equation, mostly because Bo was ready to go every single waking hour of the day. Lauren's libido was still increased, but of the two of them, she had more restraint than Bo did at any given moment. Today though, Lauren had yet to give in to Bo's advances and the need to do so was growing stronger every moment the succubus persisted.

Lauren cast the notebook aside, not really caring much where it landed. Her shifted attention was completely on Bo, and she allowed her to continue advancing by leaning back further on the couch. When her shoulder blades hit the armrest, the motion stopped. Bo continued forward and braced her weight so that she was hovering slightly above the doctor.

"I can't get enough watching you work," Bo whispered. "Did you know that? I want to see you getting all professional every day." She leaned her face a little bit closer to Lauren's, moving in for a kiss.

Lauren smiled widely as Bo lips grew closer, actually letting out a soft chuckle at Bo's words. "What are you going to do when in a couple of weeks when I have to go back to my job?"

Bo stilled her movements, and a second later she pulled away so she could see Lauren's face more clearly. "Go back?" Her brows furrowed, and she actually looked disappointed.

"I still have obligations at the hospital, Bo. That never stopped. For now Trick is letting me go back, as long as I can keep up with whatever he asks me to do."

"Do you _want_ to go back though?"

"Of course," Lauren said, as if it were completely obvious. "I know that my job is going to seem a little pedestrian now, all things considered, but that's what I went through training for. I'm a doctor. I need actual patients."

"_I_ could be your patient, you know."

Lauren smiled, reaching up to cup Bo's cheek. "But there's nothing wrong with you, Bo. You are a perfect specimen of your kind." Her hand fell as Bo pulled even further away, and the succubus practically pouted, though Lauren could tell she was trying to control her facial expressions. "Once you have Kenzi back, you'll barely even notice I'm gone," Lauren placated her.

"That's not true."

In an ideal situation, Kenzi would be around all the time, as would Lauren — though Bo hoped Kenzi would make herself scarce whenever she needed her own special kind of Lauren time. For her, it wasn't one over the other; it was both. It frustrated Bo that Lauren could think of herself as any less important than she was. Her eyes flashed blue for a second, and the doctor gave her a knowing look. It had been happening more often lately, sometimes with very little provocation at all.

"Bo, when was the last time you fed?"

The brunette closed her eyes and shook her head. "I'm not hungry."

"But you still need to feed, if for no other reason than to keep up your strength." Lauren gave her a pointed look. "If you wanted," the blonde bit her bottom lip, "I could… help…"

Bo's eyes grew wide as Lauren pushed herself up from the reclined position to meet her in the middle. "Lauren, no," she said firmly. The doctor stopped abruptly, with a hurt expression on her face. "As much as I would _love_ for that to happen, I would never do that to you. I don't want to hurt you."

Lauren's hurt expression stayed for a moment longer, but the doctor eventually forced an impassive expression to take its place. Her aura dampened as well, and Bo instantly missed the warm feeling she usually got from it alone. In not wanting to hurt Lauren, she inexorably had done just that.

"Oh, I didn't mean to suggest… I'm sorry." Lauren was successfully keeping the emotion from her voice, but Bo could see that she wasn't unaffected. The doctor reached down to retrieve her notebook from where it fell on the floor. "I should have realized. Of course another Fae would be more suitable. In the interest of your own health though, I would suggest that you take care of that soon. There's no need for you to go without what your body needs on account of me."

Bo stared at her, trying to read what she was really thinking. It was much more difficult when she was detached like this, and Bo didn't have enough experience reading past that facade to truly know what was going on in her head. She could tell Lauren was upset, despite what she told Bo, but she wasn't aware of where the doctor was feeling that pain.

Bo frowned and averted her eyes, staring instead at the edge of the coffee table in front of the couch. "Are you saying that you want me to sleep with someone else?"

"I want you to feed." Lauren went back to working in her notebook, and Bo noticed her careful use of words.

"Okay," Bo agreed. Lauren's pencil stopped moving. "If that's what you want, then I'll do it."

"I want you healthy."

Bo nodded, and she pushed herself from the couch up to her feet. She went to the front door to retrieve her boots. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" she said, not knowing what else would be appropriate in the awkward situation.

Lauren finally pulled her eyes away from the notebook, and met Bo's again. She gave her a sad smile. "I'll see you tomorrow, Bo."

* * *

Bo took her frustrations out on the first few Fae that she saw in the entranceway. She didn't even register their names — or their faces for that matter — but they'd gotten the job done and were more than willing participants. She pressed their bodies against the stone wall of the entranceway and drained every spare ounce of chi they had. By the end of it, Bo was feeling stronger and much more in control of herself. Perhaps Lauren was right, and Bo really _had_ been hungry.

Bruce came ambling down the arcade as Bo was returning to her quarters. He caught her just before she was about to enter, oblivious to the bad mood she was in.

"Isabeau, Mistress Aife would like to speak with you in her office," he said with his usual deep and steady voice.

"In her office?" Bo clarified.

Her mother hardly ever used the old Ash's office adjoining her private quarters. Most of the time when Bo saw her in the past to talk business, it was in her bedroom or the connected living area. The first (and last) time Bo saw Aife use the room was when she first defeated the Fae clans and took over the compounds.

"That is what she said, Miss Isabeau."

Bo sighed. "Thank you, Bruce. I'll be right over."

Aife wasn't waiting for Bo in the office, nor was she in her quarters. But as Bruce instructed, Bo waited for in the the old Ash's office.

There weren't many changes made to the place since Aife's takeover. Hale's large portrait behind the desk had been taken town and burned, along with the light Fae banners and insignia in the room. But most of the other effects remained intact. Bo only noticed one item that was out of place: a single thick leather bound volume on the bookshelf was sticking halfway out, as if it was hurriedly or haphazardly put back into place. The book itself didn't look remarkable, but its unusual position made it stand out. Bo approached it, looking at it closely. She reached up to pull it from the shelf, but when she did, a wooden box next to it came falling out, landing on the floor with a loud clatter. To Bo's surprise, its lid bore the same symbol as Lauren and Kenzi's wrist.

Bo forgot about the book when she saw the fallen box. She pushed it back onto the shelf and bent down to pick it up. It was ornately carved, almost decorative in appearance. Bo reached with her other hand to unfasten the clasp. Inside, there was a silver jeweled crown. It was obviously valuable, and Bo knew that if it had been in the vault when Kenzi broke in then it would have been taken. But Bo got the impression that this particular item had been hiding in the Ash's office for quite some time. An inscription on the inside surface caught Bo's eyes, and she squinted to see it more clearly.

It read: _Ysabeau A. McCorrigan._

Bo instantly recognized the similarity to the name she read earlier in Trick's book of oaths. Except that when her blood hit the page, it read _Isabeau_. It was far too similar to be purely coincidence, though. Bo's musings were cut short when she heard the clicking of heels outside. In a panic, Bo grabbed the box from the floor and threw it back on the bookshelf, while shoving the crown inside her jacket. She was just in time, too. Aife opened the door not even a second later.

"Isabeau, darling!" Aife cooed. "I feel like I haven't seen you in ages!"

"Hello, Mom."

"You missed it earlier… I have some exciting news for you, sweetheart."

"Oh?" Bo frowned. As far as she was aware, nothing new was going on with Trick's side. But anything that her mother was this excited about _had_ to involve some sort of victory against the rebels. "What is it?"

"In a couple of days, I should have someone for you to meet, sweetie. He is just so perfect! You'll absolutely love him!"

Of all the things Bo had been expecting, it wasn't that. Aife had never taken an active role in her personal relationships, other than to lay ground rules for who was and wasn't allowed in the compound. It went without saying that Bo wasn't allowed to take of the rebels were allowed inside to bed with her. Aife seemed to sense Bo's confusion, because she continued her explanation.

"His name is Rainer, honey," Aife said. "He's the best this side has to offer, and I want _you_ to have him."

Bo supposed it was sweet of Aife, in her own special way. She was typically someone that would have taken everything she valued for her own benefit, so the fact that she offered her best to Bo was probably as thoughtful as her mother would ever be.

If only Bo's mother knew that she didn't want Rainer. Lately, her only type had been blonde, leggy women with a penchant for doctoring and geek speak.

* * *

**_Author's notes:_** _On a bit of an unrelated personal note, I found out at the end of last week that I passed all my USMLE board exams! So in a little less than a year, I'll have my medical degree, which is super exciting!_


	16. Vexed

The elixir was more complicated than Lauren expected. After several more rounds of combustion analysis, however, Lauren finally felt like she'd determined the final composition. Or at least, she needed to have it figured out. She'd used nearly all of the tiny vial Trick offered her. If her calculations were incorrect, then not only would Lauren fail to recover Kenzi, she would also have to face the wrath of the Blood King.

Neither of those options were very appealing.

There were a variety of reactions Lauren could run to create the compounds she identified. She would obviously use the easiest, most reliable ones, but they still required careful planning and measurement. The pages in her spiral notebook were quickly filling with her scribbled notes and calculations. The entire picture was starting to form in Lauren's mind, and as she worked free from distractions for several hours, she got more accomplished in the short block of time than she did over the course of several days previously. Bo was a welcome distraction, no doubt, but Lauren still had never been able to successfully concentrate while she was around — and Bo seemed to consider teasing her a personal challenge. The work was more fun that way, but it did slow down. Since Bo had left, however, that all changed. Lauren was back to her usual ferocious work pace.

When Lauren's calculations were done, she simply dropped her pencil in surprise. That was it. Her preparation was finished. All that was left now was to work and test what she made, and to do that, she needed to call Hale. Lauren dialed the number and waited for him to pick up on the other side.

"Dr. Lewis?" Hale answered after several rings. "What is it?"

The familiarity was becoming usual for both of them, yet despite the fact that Lauren only ever called to request access to the labs, he still asked her what she wanted every time she called him. Lauren honestly didn't have any idea what else she could realistically request of him.

"I have some work to do at the labs this afternoon."

He reverted back to his automatic response after that. "I'll be by to pick you and Bo up in fifteen minutes."

"No, it's just me." Lauren shook her head. "Bo had a few — umm — errands to run." Lauren was more than aware that Bo would probably be feeding as that's what she asked her to do, but she still didn't want to talk about that with Hale.

"Oh?"

"I don't know if she'll want to stop by later, but for now, it's just me."

There was a long pause as Hale considered Lauren's request. He didn't have much of a reason to refuse it, but he probably was curious as to why Bo wouldn't be joining Lauren as she'd done every other day this week. But that really wasn't any of his business, and he knew it.

"Fifteen minutes, Dr. Lewis," Hale said, and he hung up.

That wasn't much time for Lauren to prepare. Her notes over the past few days were in several different places, mostly because of Bo, so she scrambled about her apartment to collect them all and shove them into her bag. There was even one sheet containing Lauren's mass spectrometry data that had found its way underneath the couch. If she hadn't bent down to look, she wouldn't have seen it.

Fourteen minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Her time was up, so she shot Bo a quick message. Hopefully, she wouldn't be worried if she decided to come back.

She typed: _I'm at the lab working. You're more than welcome to join later if you want. XoXo_

It was easy for Lauren to get lost in her work. Once Hale dropped her off at the labs and she got busy, not much else distracted her. She made the conscious effort to check her phone for any response from Bo, but after an hour or so, her focus gradually wandered solely back to her work.

Working from the chemicals available at the lab, there were seventeen total steps that Lauren had to perform to create the duplicate elixir. She wasn't paying much attention to the clock, so she didn't realize how late it was. Lauren was completely lost to the rest of the world in her single minded concentration. There was nobody else that could break her focus — that is, until a familiar hand rested upon her shoulder.

"Hey," Bo's smooth voice sounded close behind Lauren. It was so sudden and unexpected that it caused her to startle.

"Bo!" Lauren gasped. She tried to control her heart beating erratically in her chest, but as it was an involuntary response, there was nothing she could really do about it.

Bo's expression became concerned. "Sorry I scared you."

"No, you didn't _scare_ me," Lauren chuckled. She was finally starting to recover from the sudden shock. After all, Bo's appearance wasn't _that_ surprising, she just hadn't been expecting at that particular moment. "I didn't know if you'd be stopping by. You surprised me, that's all."

"Hmm… Well is it a good surprise?"

Lauren grinned and bowed her head forward slightly, causing a few strands of her blonde hair to fall forward. "Of course, Bo." That seemed to alleviate any of Bo's lingering concerns about her being unwelcome, and her face lit up in satisfaction.

"What are you working on?" Bo asked. "I thought you said you had a bunch of stuff you had to work on back at your place."

"After you left, I got everything done a lot quicker than I expected. My calculations are done, and I'm over halfway finished with the elixir now."

Whatever Bo had been expecting Lauren to say, it certainly hadn't been that. Her eyes grew impossibly wide at the announcement, and her mouth opened several times as if she was going to say something — _anything_. No words came out though. Bo was completely speechless.

"Is that… okay?" Lauren asked.

Bo still had this dumbfounded expression on her face, and instead of answering Lauren's question, she simply replied, "You're amazing."

Lauren smirked. "I know."

"Really, Lauren." Bo's tone was about as serious as Lauren had ever heard it, and it was enough for Lauren to restrain her joviality. Her previous smirk went away as Bo continued: "Never in my life could I have expected anyone to do what you've done, and now that you've done it, I…" Bo's eyes fluttered shut as she struggled with finding the correct words. "Thank you."

Bo's appreciation caused a palpable warmth to spread through Lauren from the inside, and she was almost certain that she blushed. Was it possible for her entire body to blush? Theoretically, Lauren knew it could _potentially_ happen, but it wasn't a usual response to emotional stimuli. But that's what it felt like — like her whole body turned beet red at Bo's effluent gratitude.

"Not to put a damper on things, but I'm not finished yet. And even then, I still need to run some tests to make sure that what I've made is a passable replica of Trick's original elixir." Lauren reached forward to take Bo's hand that was hanging loosely at her side. Bo caught on, entwining their fingers together, and Lauren gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Best to hold off on thanking me until Kenzi's back."

"How soon do you think that'll be?"

"It's hard to say exactly…" Lauren didn't want to give Bo a false hope in case some unforeseen complication arose. "But soon, Bo. I promise."

The possibility of having Kenzi back so quickly was too much emotion for Bo to handle at that moment. She pulled Lauren toward her by their connected hands, guiding the blonde's around her back. Bo embraced her tightly in return, so tightly that Lauren couldn't have moved even if she wanted to.

It felt nice to Lauren, being held by another person like this. It wasn't something that she was used to experiencing, even before being thrust into this new (and kind of scary) world, but it came to her naturally when she was with Bo. Maybe it was because she was a succubus and exuded allure into every corner of every room she walked into. But Lauren didn't think that was all of it — not by a long shot. Bo just had a huge, huge heart. She loved without reservations, had fierce convictions, and fought like hell for what she believed in. In just the short time Lauren had spent with her, she'd seen that much. Lauren took comfort in Bo's presence in her life, and having a physical reaffirmation of that every once in a while was everything she hoped it would be.

Lauren allowed her other hand to wind around Bo's back, but as she moved to return the embrace fully, the inside of her arm brushed against something hard through the leather of Bo's jacket. She pulled away at the unexpected contact and frowned.

"What's wrong?" Bo asked, noticing the sudden shift in Lauren's actions and instantly worrying that she'd done something wrong.

"What's in your jacket?"

Bo instantly reached into the inside pocket of her leather jacket and pulled out a crown of some sort. Lauren frowned in response. It was an unusual item to be carrying around, and even so, nobody even used crowns anymore — even Fae royalty. From her reading, it appeared as if some leaders still wore crowns during important rituals and ceremonies, but these were few and far between.

"Is that your new fashion statement?" Lauren chuckled.

"No, noob," Bo joked, laughing with her. "When I went to the compound today, my mom summoned me to the Ash's throne room, and I found it there."

"So you took it? Why?"

Bo held her breath, and looked pointedly away from Lauren's eyes. Something was on Bo's mind, she could tell, but until she started talking, she'd have no idea what. Lauren waited patiently for Bo's explanation.

"There's a name on the inside," Bo said after several long moments. "It's not one I've seen before — well, not _exactly_ — but it looked familiar. You see, when I put my blood in Trick's book, it said my name was _Isabeau McCorrigan_, not Isabeau Dennis. I thought it might have been a mistake at first, but the book doesn't lie. It _can't_ lie. And then, when I saw this…" Bo handed the crown to Lauren slowly.

Lauren read the scripted engraving on the inside of the ornate crown: "Ysabeau A. McCorrigan." A chill ran through her as she said the murdered woman's name out loud.

"It can't be a coincidence." Bo shook her head. "My mom uses the surname Dennis too, but I have no idea where that even came from. For all I know, her name could be Aife McCorrigan, and this woman could have been our ancestor. But it's not like I can even ask her about it because I can't mention the fact that I made a blood oath with Trick."

This was a mess. Lauren originally was under the impression that she'd be keeping information from Bo that she _didn't_ know she was missing. But unbeknownst to Lauren, Bo already had pieces of the puzzle and was actively working on putting them together. She'd not only found out about Ysabeau, but she'd deduced that they were both related. Bo's curiosity would be pressing Lauren dangerously close to what she wasn't allowed to disclose, and the idea worried her immensely.

Bo, however, was oblivious to Lauren's inner struggles.

"I mean, if we're related, maybe she knows why my blood and my mom's blood can thrall people," Bo mused. "If I could find her and ask her —"

"That sounds complicated, Bo."

"How so?"

Lauren had to be careful with how she played this situation for both her sake and for Bo's. After all, _she_ knew Ysabeau's true identity as it pertained to both Bo and Trick, and Bo didn't. If Lauren divulged that information before Trick was ready, Lauren didn't even want to think about what punishments would befall her then. And if Bo found out, she had the feeling that the alliance with Trick would be over. Bo would be left in a dangerous position between Aife's forces _and_ the rebels. They were both formidable opponents, and she wasn't sure if Bo was equipped to fight both of them at once. Lauren wasn't willing to put Bo's life at risk for that. She'd already rescued her from the edge of death once, and it would be tempting fate to have to do it again.

To protect them both, she had to try and throw Bo off the trail.

"This Ysabeau was obviously someone very dear to the light Fae if her crown was found in the throne room," Lauren improvised. "If she were still around, I find it hard to imagine that you wouldn't have heard anything of her whereabouts by now. Something could have happened a long time ago, but I don't think you're going to be able to speak to her."

It was a logical explanation, giving Bo some of what she could have inferred herself if she'd given it more time, but it also addressed Bo's more immediate concern: talking to Ysabeau. Lauren knew for certain that it would never happen, but she couldn't explain her full reasons. She had to let Bo believe that her words were just deductions she made from the situation as it was presented to her. Even then, knowing that she was successful didn't lessen the hurt she felt when Bo's face fell and her shoulders drooped.

"You're right," Bo muttered. "It was a stupid idea."

"It wasn't stupid, Bo. You _are_ right — it sounds like it wasn't a coincidence. But it also sounds like there's a good chance that maybe nothing will come from it."

"I get the feeling like I'm never going to find out what all of this means…"

Lauren placed her hand on Bo's shoulder in a comforting gesture and gave it a light squeeze. "I'm sure you will in time. Let's just focus on one thing at a time, okay? First we'll get Kenzi back, then we'll work on stopping your mother before she decides she wants to take over the human world, too. And once we take care of that, we can start looking into your background." Lauren searched Bo's eyes for any kind of reaction, but she didn't see one, at least not straightaway. "Sound like a plan?"

Bo sighed. "Yeah. Let's get Kenzi back."

* * *

For someone that was apparently in hiding, Evony sure did choose the least inconspicuous place to take up residence.

Tamsin, Hale, and Dyson each created living spaces in the old warehouse because it was hidden far from the old Fae establishments, and there was no paper trail that linked them to it. It wasn't as comfortable as they were used to living, by any means, but they made some modifications to the place that made it bearable.

Of course, Evony would consider such standards of living beneath her. It didn't take Tamsin very long to track down her whereabouts, and she suspected that if anyone had seriously put their mind to finding her, they wouldn't have had any real problems doing so. It did put Evony at risk of attack, but as long as she didn't piss off the wrong people she should have been safe for a while. After all, not many people were stupid enough to seek out trouble with the old Dark Fae leader. When someone could melt you into a steaming puddle of goo with a simple touch of their hand, it was usually wise to leave them alone.

After uncovering one of Evony's aliases, it took Tamsin no time to find her place. She'd chosen a swanky mansion far from the center of the Fae world and had probably paid top dollar for it, too. When Tamsin was looking the place up, she'd read that it was built by some famous architect and was the most highly priced piece of real estate in the area. It was just so — _Evony_.

Tamsin's old blue truck seemed out of place in the wide driveway, even more so when she parked it next to the sleek black Mercedes sedan out front. She could only roll her eyes at the sight. Evony wouldn't even let losing a damned war keep her from living the high life. While the rest of the Dark Fae riches had been confiscated during the takeover, it was obvious that Evony kept a large portion of it herself. Tamsin buzzed the call button outside the tall front door. There was a tiny camera mounted right beside it, and the Valkyrie made certain that her face was visible to whoever was inside.

"How sweet of you to visit Tamsin," Evony's falsely cheery voice sounded through the tiny speakers. "I was wondering when I was going to see you again. Please tell me that you've given up living like a plebian with the puppy and the kazoo."

Tamsin rolled her eyes, and she didn't even care if Evony saw it or not. "Actually, I'm here to see your cock waffle of a son."

"You didn't come to visit me? I'm hurt."

"Where is he?"

Tamsin waited for the response to come through the speakers, but it never did. Instead, she heard the click of the fancy front door opening. When she looked over, Evony was standing in the open doorway with one arm propping herself up lazily against the frame. Her other hand was clutching a champagne flute, and she quickly raised it to her lips before downing the entire thing. Tamsin's eyes widened as she took in Evony's appearance. Most people didn't lounge about their house in expensive cocktail dresses, but apparently, Evony did.

"You seem to be doing pretty well for yourself, all things considered," Tamsin said.

"Did you really think I was gonna let a stupid little thing like war keep me from having style and class?" Evony tsk'ed several times, shaking her head in disbelief. "Honestly sweetie, I thought you knew me better."

Tamsin didn't have the time or patience to deal with Evony's tangents. She barely had time for them back when Evony was her boss, but as she didn't hold any official position anymore, Tamsin _definitely_ wouldn't be enduring them now. "Where's Massimo?" she repeated.

"Come inside, take a load off. I'll get him for you." Evony waved Tamsin inside, but as she walked away, she suddenly stopped and turned on her heels to face her again. She narrowed her eyes at Tamsin's worn leather jacket and the boots on her feet. They were more practical than stylish, and Evony turned her nose up at them. "Oh, and Tamsin… If you want to borrow some clothes, I'll lend you some. Seeing as how you still reflect on the Dark Fae's image, I'd much prefer it if you didn't run around looking like a hobo."

Tamsin glared at her. "I'll look however I want, as long as it means I can still stick my boot up your ass."

Evony smiled at Tamsin's retort. "Oh that's cute, Tamsin honey." Her tone didn't betray any anger or annoyance at the outburst; on the contrary, she actually seemed amused by the interaction. Evony knew that she and Tamsin would never really fight each other if they could help it. They were both far too powerful to risk battling with each other over trivial slights, so all of their interactions were mostly posturing and empty threats.

The former Morrigan sauntered away in her usual haughty manner, swinging her hips from side to side with each step. Tamsin reluctantly followed her though the tall entryway and into the wide open living room, taking a seat on one of several white leather sofas adorning the area. Everything looked so pristine, she almost felt as if she'd dirty the surface just by sitting on it. Evony disappeared to fetch Massimo, and she returned several minutes later with him tailing behind her. Evony was certainly a stickler for fashion, but those genes were definitely not passed down to Massimo, who was wearing an obnoxious floral print shirt with the top buttons unfastened to show off his chest.

"What is it?" Massimo asked, taking a seat opposite Tamsin. He leaned back in the cushions and made himself comfortable. Evony had refilled her champagne glass during the trip and sat down next to him, quietly sipping the bubbly drink.

"I need a potion," Tamsin answered.

"Oddly enough, I could have figured out that one myself. What exactly is it that you want, and why?"

"I need one that will weaken Fae abilities. Trick mentioned that you had something that could help."

"The Antaeus potion." The druid nodded. "Named after Hercule's great defeat of the giant, Antaeus. Antaeus drew his power from the earth, and Hercules broke the bond, rendering his supernatural abilities useless. It's quite expensive, depending on how strong you need it."

"I need it as strong as you can make it."

Massimo narrowed his eyes at Tamsin, and he gave her a searching look. "Have you suddenly come into some money that I haven't heard about? Maybe uncovered some buried treasure?" he asked. "The last time I checked, you didn't have that kind of money to be throwing around… No offense."

"It's not for me," Tamsin answered, shaking her head. "It's for Trick."

Evony perked up at the mention of the Blood King's name, and she leaned forward to insert herself into the conversation. "And just what in the name of Merlin's left nut is that old bastard up to now?"

"We're negotiating to get Vex out of prison."

Evony nearly dropped her champagne flute in her lap, but she somehow managed to catch the glass before it completely slipped from her grasp. She stared at Tamsin as if she'd just sprouted a second head. She blinked several times before finally recovered from the surprise.

"And just how does he plan to do that?" Evony asked once she'd regained her former composure.

Tamsin clenched her jaw. She wouldn't have minded getting Vex out of prison even though he was a pain in her ass, but she had some serious misgivings about Trick's strategy for getting him back. "A prisoner exchange," Tamsin muttered to Evony and Massimo.

Both Evony and her son were silent as they worked through the implications of what she'd said. For all of Evony's jokes, she was much sharper than her son was — not to mention much more well versed in the old Fae politics. She knew all the players involved, and she knew all of the stories and gossip. Tamsin's cryptic message wouldn't stay a mystery very long if Evony was involved.

"Wait, hold on…" Evony said, holding up her hand toward Tamsin to prevent her from speaking any more. She narrowed her eyes dangerously at her. "Surely Trick isn't stupid enough to do what I think he's planning on doing. He's already made a mistake in _that_ department. Surely he wouldn't be aiming to make it worse now."

Tamsin merely shrugged in response, which was taken as confirmation.

Evony scoffed. "You know, it's cute how he's so into atoning for his many sins, but it would be nice if he could — oh, _I don't know_ — do it in a way that didn't get everyone killed!"

Tamsin saw where she was coming from, but she still had an interest in following through with Trick's plan to avoid any further conflict with Aife. If they failed to return him, she was liable to go after both her and Dyson in particular. She might have been able to fight them off, but there was literally no limit to how many Fae Aife could enslave as mercenaries. Tamsin didn't want to be spending the rest of her long years sleeping with one eye open.

"That's his idea behind the potion," Tamsin attempted to mollify her former leader. "He wants to bind Rainer's abilities. It would give us a window to act — how long would just depend on how strong the potion was." She glanced at Massimo, who was looking on in polite interest but said nothing.

"This is probably the most idiotic plan the Blood King has ever had," Evony sneered. "And _that's_ saying something! He's done a lot of stupid shit during his reign, but this one takes the cake."

Tamsin ignored the rant that Evony was insistent on continuing. She was well aware of Evony's opinion, and everything else coming from her now wouldn't be any more helpful. She instead turned her attention fully to the son, who was still silently observing and thinking quietly to himself.

"What do _you_ think Massimo?" Tamsin asked him. "After all, you're the one that has to make the final decision."

Evony turned herself on the fancy couch and glared at him, as if willing him to take her side. He didn't seem intimidated by her, however. Perhaps having to live with Evony and deal with her antics on a daily basis made him more immune to her persuasive techniques. He met Tamsin's gaze confidently.

"I'd like to meet with Trick personally before I made a final decision," he announced diplomatically. Evony rolled her eyes at him.

Tamsin nodded, though she didn't allow her eyes to show how pleased she was that he was considering the offer. If he was at least agreeing to an audience with Trick that meant he was open to the idea, and Trick was — for better or worse — one of the best negotiators in town. If he really wanted to strike a deal with Massimo, it would be done.

"Do you want a ride to the Dal?" Tamsin asked.

Massimo nodded. "That would be nice."

Tamsin stood from the couch, and Massimo followed her lead. She started walking back toward the entranceway but turned to Evony once more before she went out of sight.

Tamsin lifted her voice enough for Evony to hear it across the wide space. "You're more than welcome to come along too, if you feel like you want to contribute to the conversation."

Evony chuckled derisively, downing her second glass of champagne. She smiled, looked right and Tamsin and said: "You know, if your little crew is dead set on playing with matches around ten tons of gasoline, I think I'd rather just stay here. Unlike you all, I still like living and breathing."

Tamsin turned back toward the door and strode away. "Coward," she muttered under her breath, loud enough for only her own ears to hear.

* * *

Dyson returned from the old Dark Fae dungeons about an hour after he left. It pained him to sacrifice his own clothes for Rainer, but he supposed it beat having to stare at him naked the entire time. He wasn't expecting to see Tamsin back at the Dal so soon either, especially as they had no idea where the Morrigan was hiding. He strolled up where she was seated alone outside Trick's door.

"Hey," Dyson greeted her. "You're back early."

Tamsin chuckled lightly, and stared at her hands in her lap. "Yeah, well… Fortunately for me, Evony doesn't do incognito worth a damn." She glanced up to meet Dyson's gaze and could tell that's not all he was wondering about. "Massimo agreed to talk to Trick, and he's in there now. We should know something one way or the other in a few minutes."

Dyson's eyebrows raised in surprise, and he reached up to run a hand through his curly hair. This task was coming together unusually quickly, even by his usual standards. He'd always prided himself on being able to run a smooth operation, and Tamsin had similar experience as one of the Dark's lead warriors, but this was something else entirely. When he originally heard about what Trick wanted, he'd predicted that it would take a few _days_, not a few _hours_.

As if on cue, the heavy oak doors to Trick's study swung open, and the Blood King stepped out with Massimo behind him. Tamsin scrambled to her feet quickly, and she and Dyson watched them intently. After all, it was their asses on the line here.

"So do we have an arrangement then?" Trick asked Massimo.

Massimo nodded, extending his hand out to him. Trick grasped it firmly, giving it a solid shake. It was done. Trick pulled a bag of ancient Fae currency from one of the drawers in his den, which Massimo accepted, and in turn, Massimo handed Trick a rune glass.

"The potion is an essence," Massimo explained, giving Dyson and Tamsin a knowing glance as if he figured they would be the ones actually administering it. "The glass will need to be broken close to the Fae you wish to subdue, and the essence will latch on the nearest source of power it senses. So try not to be too close when you use it, or else it might act on you instead."

"Noted," Tamsin said.

"How long would you expect it to last, in your opinion?" Trick asked Massimo.

"It depends mostly on the strength of the Fae you're using it on. If you were using it on a Brownie, I'd say six to eight months. But if I'm correct in my assumptions as to who this is intended for, it would be much less. I'd say two months before he's back at full strength — and that's a high estimate. He would probably be gradually be gaining his strength back long before then."

This wasn't an ideal situation. Neither Trick, Dyson, nor Tamsin wanted to contend with a thralled Rainer when he was at full capacity. Having him weaker would help, but even so, he'd still be a giant headache for them going forward. They needed to act quickly, preferably dispatching him before he returned to his maximum strength.

"I see." The troubled look in Trick's eyes let Dyson know that his concerns were shared. "Thank you for your expertise, Massimo. If we have any further inquiries, we'll let you know."

"It was a pleasure doing business with you, Blood King."

Massimo bowed his head slightly at the dismissal. Based on who his mother was, it was surprising that he retained so much Fae etiquette — but he was bound to show deference to the Blood King, if nobody else. After all, he'd once ruled over the entirety of the Fae back before the Light and Dark clans were even established. Dyson watched the druid intently as he exited, listening to the soft thuds of his footsteps as he ascended the wooden staircase.

Trick handed the rune glass to Tamsin. "I suppose you already know what I'm going to say next."

Tamsin nodded. "Yeah," she said before turning to face Dyson. "Let's go get Vex."

* * *

Much in the same way they did earlier, Tamsin parked her truck at a distance from the old Light Fae entrance. Unlike last time, though, there was no fight over the Koushang. Dyson pulled it from his pocket and handed it to Tamsin without being asked, and Tamsin fastened it behind her neck before hiding the pendant beneath her jacket.

The other (and far more obvious) difference from the last visit was the third passenger sprawled unceremoniously in the back seat of the cab. After Tamsin administered the rune glass, Rainer had been a little out of sorts. Dyson supposed it would have had that effect on any Fae that the potion acted on. If he was suddenly unable to use his wolf from some reason… Hell, he'd probably look even worse than Rainer did at the moment.

"You ready?" Dyson asked Tamsin.

She nodded. "Yeah, let's do this and get out of here."

They climbed out of the truck in unison, and Dyson moved to the back door to let out their prisoner. "Come on, sleeping beauty," he said, nudging the somnolent mass laying in the back seat. By this time, Tamsin had already circled around to stand next to him, and she shook her head at the sight before her.

Rainer's eyes slowly drifted open at the contact. "What did you do to me?"

"We gave you some medicine. Your head is probably gonna feel a little woozy for a while."

Rainer groaned loudly as he sat upright and gingerly climbed out of the cab. He frowned, obviously thinking about something. "I did _not_ see that coming," he mused shaking his head in confusion. Dyson saw the Valkyrie stifle a laugh from the corner of his vision.

Dyson rolled his eyes at the bizarre situation. "Let's go."

Just as before, Dyson and Tamsin strode through the entranceway. This time, they each held tightly onto one of Rainer's arms to prevent his escape — not that he would have been able to get very far anyway in his current state. The sentries on the parapets watched with keen interest as they approached. Dyson had been worried during their last visit that they wouldn't even make it to the door. Now that they had Rainer as leverage, he wasn't worried about being attacked. Aife wouldn't have wanted that.

The huge doors opened inward at their arrival, showing Aife strutting forward in the distance. The lighting was poor inside, but as she got closer to the door, her features became more visible. She'd dressed up for the occasion, and she'd brought a fierce looking entourage along with her. If there was an altercation at the door, it would have been a frighteningly even battle with both Dyson and Tamsin involved. He tensed in his position at Rainer's flank and concentrated on subduing his wolf instincts. It wouldn't do well to flash his sharp teeth in the middle of the exchange — not when there were this many foes around.

Aife's eyes lit up in interest when they came to rest on Rainer, and for the first time, a genuine smile came to her face. It was just a fleeting moment, but in that short time, Aife looked oddly human. Hers wasn't the face of some depraved lunatic that fancied themselves a dictator of the Fae world.

"I see you have someone for me," Aife cooed. Rainer had an exhausted but perfectly content expression on his face now that he was so close to his master.

"We'll be needing Vex before we let you have him," Tamsin said from Rainer's other side.

Aife snapped her fingers at the guards lined up behind her. A gap formed in the middle of the group, and a struggling Vex was pushed forward, both his hands still tied together in front of him.

It was the first time Vex had seen sunlight in centuries. Dyson vaguely remembered seeing him before he was locked away, but the figure before him was almost unrecognizable. Someone had kept black his hair and beard moderately trimmed, so he didn't look like a complete vagrant. But there were multiple scrapes and bruises marring his skin that only came with hard dungeon living, and the rough tweed prisoner's outfit he was wearing was filthy and appeared to be one of the most uncomfortable items of clothing in existence. Dyson actually felt sorry for the Dark Fae, especially if he'd been wrongly imprisoned. Aife's guard pushed Vex forward roughly, and he fell to his hands and knees on the stone floor at the edge of the doorway.

"He's all yours," Aife jeered, casting Vex a dirty look. "Now, it's my turn."

Dyson and Tamsin both cast each other uneasy glances. The wolf lifted his eyebrows in question, and he was answered with a subtle nod from Tamsin. On her cue, they both released Rainer's arms in a single, concerted movement. He looked confused for a moment at having been turned loose, but the pull toward Aife was strong for him. Not even a second later, his feet were moving him toward her.

"Come on, Vex," Tamsin hissed urgently at the man on the ground.

It was an obvious struggle for him to get to his feet, but none of Aife's soldiers moved to help him. Both Dyson and Tamsin knew that they couldn't assist him either, not until he crossed the threshold. To take even one step on the grounds uninvited would be the same as asking for death. The wait was uncomfortable, especially now that they were outnumbered and had no leverage for their own protection. Both Dyson and Tamsin visibly tensed as they waited for Vex to rise to his feet, and when he did, Tamsin grabbed him by the shoulder as quickly as she could and began to march him out of the compound.

Their pace was maddeningly slow. Vex hadn't walked in so long that his body was just getting used to the movements again, and no matter how hard Tamsin pulled him along, his feet kept moving at the same snail's pace. They'd been moving for what felt like forever. Yet they weren't even halfway out of the courtyard.

"Oh for fuck's sake, would you both slow down for a minute?" Vex whined. "It's not like this is my first time walking in the last four hundred years or anything. You made a deal for safe passage right? So would you bloody take advantage of it?!"

The panicked glance between Tamsin and Dyson wasn't missed by Vex, who stopped dead in his tracks and gave them an incredulous look. He didn't even need to ask what it was for. Years of living in a dungeon might have made him weak, but it certainly hadn't made him stupid.

"You _did_ make a deal to get us out of here safely, right?" He sent worried glances to each of them, but neither answered. The lack of a response told Vex everything he need to know. His voice dropped to an ominous whisper: "You bloody… fucking… idiots!"

The sudden fear for his life seemed to inspire Vex to move more quickly, though he still couldn't move nearly as fast as he wanted to. Dyson and Tamsin grudgingly stayed at his side.

"What did you think was going to happen once you gave Aife her poster boy?" Vex hissed as he continued moving. "She's got no more reasons to keep you alive, and she's _never_ had a reason to keep me alive. She's gonna kill all of us before we even get out of the compound."

Vex's words turned out to be more prophetic than either of them suspected. It wasn't two seconds later that Dyson's keen ears heard a faint whizzing in the air. It was a familiar noise, one that he'd heard in battles numerous times, but before he could react to it, he felt a sharp sting in the back of his leg.

_A shuriken_.

There wasn't any use in trying to make a quiet escape now. Aife's guards had been given the order to attack, and they only had seconds before the entire force on the wall was barraging them with strikes.

"RUN!" Dyson yelled.

Tamsin glanced down at Dyson's leg as he forcefully pulled the shuriken out with a hiss. His eyes flashed yellow, and his teeth shifted to their canine form. He moved more efficiently this way, and his senses were heightened. Tamsin's eyes turned pitch black and seemed to almost sink away into her skull — it was her Valkyrie form, he knew, but he'd never actually seen her use it before.

She took off at a sprint toward the exit, and her movement attracted a series of new attackers. She skillfully dodged shots from several crossbows in the turrets. Aife's soldiers were single-mindedly focusing on bringing her down since she was further ahead than Dyson or Vex, and the wolf suddenly realized what she was doing. Tamsin was running ahead as the decoy so that Dyson and Vex wouldn't face a heavy offensive.

"Come on," Dyson growled at Vex. He didn't wait for the mesmer to respond. Instead he jerked Vex over toward him by his midsection and threw him over his shoulder to carry him toward the exit.

Tamsin was taking the vast majority of the fire, but Dyson was still having to maneuver around some shots himself. His passage was clumsy with Vex's weight hoisted on his shoulder, and it didn't help that Vex was flailing his arms about and screaming the entire time. The Valkyrie was actually faring much better despite enduring heavier fire. She'd even thrown several of her blades up to the turrets — right on target, of course — and brought down a few of her attackers. Dyson pressed on, running as quickly as he could toward the exit. They were nearly there….

"OW! GODDAMMIT, THAT SONUVABITCH HIT ME! Vex wailed loudly. He beat his fists against Dyson's back in pain, and continued to do so even after he made it out of the courtyard and around the corner to Tamsin's truck.

They were out of immediate danger, and Tamsin came running along moments later, completely unscathed. The blackness in her eyes faded, and she quickly appraised the situation. Dyson had blood running down the back of his calf, but it wasn't a serious wound by Fae standards. Vex on the other hand, was squirming around on Dyson's shoulder as if he were dying.

"Vex!" Tamsin called out. "Calm down. What's the matter?"

"What's the matter?!" he shrieked. "I've been wounded, you dumb oafs!"

There wasn't any obvious blood on Vex's face or arms, so Tamsin strolled around the opposite side to check his lower body. Dyson still had his legs grasped securely against his chest, but as her eyes traveled further up, she saw where the damage was. Vex had a wide throwing blade firmly lodged in his backside, and the handle was sticking straight up in the air. Had it been a few inches to the left, it might have hit Dyson in the head.

"Ah, a wide knife blade to the left ass cheek," Tamsin smirked. "That's going to be a nice battle scar in a few weeks."

Luckily, Vex's head was draped over the other side of Dyson's body, so he couldn't see the fun both of them were having at his expense. Dyson was trying to contain his laughter and keep his body from shaking at his giggles, and Tamsin was trying to keep it together as well with little success.

"Well, get it out!" Vex yelled frantically.

Tamsin shook her head. "Nope. Not right now. We're not touching that thing until we get you to a doctor."

"Do you even have a bloody doctor working on your side?!"

"As a matter of fact," Tamsin grinned, "now we do. I think it's time we gave her a call."


End file.
